


The Appointed

by MrsAlwaysRight



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Avengers Movies RPF, Sherlock (TV) RPF
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Celebrities, Domestic Violence, Dominance, Dysfunctional Relationships, Dystopia, Dystopian, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Infidelity, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Freedom Fighters, Infidelity, Jealousy, Oral Sex, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Smut, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2015-06-13
Packaged: 2017-12-31 22:04:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 36,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsAlwaysRight/pseuds/MrsAlwaysRight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate world, where succesful people like actors, musicians, politicians (the Privileged) are attainable, Evelyn Knight decides to give up her freedom to become a companion (an Appointed) for Benedict Cumberbatch. In order to do so she is required to give up her life as she knows it and enter a world of glamour and prosperity. However, the cost is high as an Appointed has little freedom and abandoning a Privileged is punishable by death. Her attraction to Benedict and his affection seems perfect, until he shows his darker sides. Desperate for a way out, Evelyn receives help from an unexpected person.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chosen

“Do you understand how this works?” Benedict asked. His cupid-bowed lips blew into the steaming mug of tea resting gently in his long elegant fingers. How could I not? This was the way the world has been for the last decade. I would simply become his confidant, friend, muse. I would become his lover, whether I wanted to or not.  
“Yes”, I whispered. My eyes were transfixed on his lips as he sipped from his drink. “Yes, I understand what has to happen…” I hesitated. Everything would change. I wasn’t too sure if he would allow it. I have heard of other Appointed that had no choice. Jess Williams was one of the girls I grew up with. She was now an Appointed for David Pierce, a leading politician. She had to leave anything and everything. Last time I spoke to her parents they told me they hadn’t seen her in 3 years, apart from on TV.  
  
“Could I take my dog?” I asked suddenly. His ice-blue eyes became colder momentarily. It sent a chill down my spine. Was this a mistake? Could I even get out of this if I chose to? “I’m not entirely keen on having animals in the house”, he answered. He set his mug down and suddenly his hands were covering mine. They were large. I suddenly wondered if he took a lot of time doing his nails. “Evelyn”, his voice was low and soft. I couldn’t help but shudder. “I realise that this is a big decision for you. I want you to think very carefully about this. Your whole life would change. You would be thrust into a world of wealth, glamour and excitement. Fame can be enjoyable, but there will be a lack of privacy.” Why do they always forget to mention the lack of freedom?  
  
“Can I take my dog?” I repeated. It was strange how that was the most important thing to me right now. He quirked a brow and sighed. “How big is it?” I shrugged. “Not very. She’s a King Charles Cavalier. Medium, I suppose.” He nodded. “Would this make you feel more comfortable? Taking your dog?” His thumbs were rubbing my knuckles. I didn’t dare look at him. Finally, I nodded. “Take your dog, then. I would like you in my house tonight. 8 PM sharp, understood? I will let you know then what I expect from you.” He moved his hands away again, cupped his mug and downed the last bit of tea. “Do you have any more questions?”  
  
I had to admit. He gave quite a bit of freedom. It isn’t likely that other Appointed are allowed to ask questions or even have a say in the matter. Some children are even prepped for the day they become an Appointed for a Privileged. It’s not like anyone can say whether they will be chosen at all, but it was probably better to be prepared for it than not at all. For me it was all a little bit harder. Being 28 meant that I had spent half of my life without these laws. Before all of this celebrities were just called celebrities. Politicians were just politicians. Millionaires were simply wealthy. Now all of them were grouped under the term “Privileged” and they were given many perks. Under the assumption that they were good for our world, economically, culturally, politically, they were regarded as heroes. Appointed were us “normal” people, but we were the “lucky” ones. We were chosen as a companion for the Privileged. Bound by law. No escape possible. Most people weren’t complaining though. Who wouldn’t want a beautiful, wealthy person to serve? Yes…to serve. And here was Benedict giving me a choice.  
“Evelyn?” His voice startled me. “Questions?”  
“Why me?”  
He smiled. Finally. It made him look less cold. More inviting. Attractive even. Not that I wasn’t attracted to him. I was. I always had been. He had this dominating presence in his movies. He was charismatic, beautiful, elegant. Women over the world swooned over him and I had as well. But that was all before I had even met him.  
  
“Because you are real”, he said simply.  
What did that even mean? I felt it was better to not press on. I wasn’t  very pretty. At least, I never regarded myself as such. I had been overweight for the better part of my life and lost most of it in my twenties. I was an orphan and grew up in a house that was run by the church. I had no mother-figure, no father-figure, just the nuns telling me the devil would play tricks on me if I didn’t finish up my vegetables. It had been less than an ideal childhood, but I turned out OK. No one ever told me I was pretty though. I was nice and friendly and dependable. I didn’t even have real friends. Just people I sometimes hung out with and then they would go deal with their own lives. I sighed.  
“You don’t understand…” Benedict concluded. It was certainly not a question.  
“I never really thought anyone would…well…choose me for such a thing. I would find a boyfriend, get married, have children and die. Or I would find no one, have lots of pets, grow old and die. That was my plan, really.” I answered. He widened his eyes and shook his head. “That’s a rather bleak outlook on life, Eve.” It felt better when he called me “Eve”. When he used my full name it felt like I was back with the nuns and they were about to scold me for my mischief. “I chose you, because you are beautiful, kind, loyal and a hard worker. You take life a day at a time and that is perfect for me. Honestly, I never thought I would take an Appointed until I got to know you a little better. The very thought of it disturbed me.”  
It disturbed him? That was interesting.

I suppose there is a lot to be disturbed about. People our age are still getting used to the new laws. Privileged are able to choose an Appointed. Or two. Or three. As many as they want to, really. An Appointed is always someone who is not a Privileged. They are not rich, successful or famous. Being chosen as an Appointed is an honour. You would receive many benefits. Your life would be turned upside down. You would have fame, accompany your Privileged to parties, official gatherings and other fancy occasions. You would be thrust into a world of riches. Many people are desperate to become an Appointed to escape the life they lead. As I mentioned before, people train their children to be ready should the day ever come that they are chosen. A Privileged can have many Appointed, but they can choose only one of them to become the First Appointed. The term is often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean that their First Appointed is literally the person they first chose. It is the person they feel the most for. This First Appointed could be seen as a spouse. They receive more benefits, more privileges. It is also useful for things like tax benefits and other legal issues. A Privileged may not have children with just any Appointed, but they can with a First Appointed. Basically, it’s like marriage, but not quite. Should the Privileged fall in love with another Privileged, they can send all their Appointed away. They are left with nothing. The First Appointed will be given some money, but there are no benefits for any other Appointed. A Privileged can only legally marry another Privileged with all the freedom involved. An Appointed can never leave a Privileged out of their own free will. Never. They should always obey. Always. A disobedient Appointed is punishable by law. A runaway Appointed will be executed after a long, gruelling, unfair trial. The Privileged would always win. Never had there been a runaway Appointed that was acquitted. Needless to say not many Appointed left out of their own free will.

“I realize that there are complications with becoming an Appointed”, Benedict said. “I need you to understand that I will be fair to you. No harm will come to you as long as I have a say in it.”  
I nodded. I believed him. He never seemed insincere. This was all just such a strange thing to be going through. Like a cold business deal. I nodded again and said it out loud: “I trust you.”  
He smiled. “I’m glad. I’m sure I can make you happy, Eve.” His hands were on mine again. Gently he guided them to his lips and pressed them on my skin. It made me shiver.  
“I’ll see you tonight?” This time it seemed a request. I knew instantly this was going to be a complicated relationship.  
“Yes. 8 PM sharp”, I confirmed. He smiled, stood up from his chair and slipped his dark, woollen coat back on.  
“I can’t wait, darling”, he said as he made his way out of the coffee shop. I watched him move into the cold, winter weather. Then I looked at my watch. 3 PM. Only 5 hours to close down this life and move on to the one I just agreed to have. 


	2. All because of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn arrives at Benedict's house. Ben, having had patience for some time now, can't contain his passion for her any longer.

Evelyn pressed the button of the doorbell with a shaky finger. The clock had just chimed 8 PM. She was at least punctual and hoped this would please the man she was now supposed to accompany for the rest of her life. Or at least until he tired of her. 

Eve sucked in a breath as she remembered her old friend, Jess Williams. Jess had come to say goodbye to her friends and neighbours. She was chosen by David Pierce. Old Mrs. Bell had thrown her arms around Jess and pressed a kiss on her cheek. “Oh, Jessie”, Mrs Bell had said, “You lucky, lucky girl. Finally you get to leave this horrible place and do something magnificent. You will be important to someone and lead a good life. I’m happy for you, dear.” Eve remembered how she had leaned over to Jess and whispered if she was sure about this. Jess had looked at her bewildered and said, “Eve, you do realize I had no choice in the matter?” 

Evelyn bit her lip. Benedict had given her a choice. Was she a fool for choosing to be with him? She would never be able to get out. She would never be able to leave him. She would have to obey every command and satisfy all his needs. He seemed nice enough. Would he respect her?

Dynah, her most beloved dog, looked up at her with concerned, brown eyes. She could sense when her human was distressed or uncertain. The animal let out a small whimper and Eve answered with a reassuring smile. 

The sound of the door latch caught both of their attention. Dynah cocked her head to the side and Eve’s heart skipped a beat. There stood Benedict. He looked informal, simply dressed in a grey t-shirt with a pale-blue cardigan and jeans. He smiled at her and offered his hand. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

He led her into his apartment, which was indeed surprisingly humble, for a Privileged of his stature. It was a two-bedroom apartment with a gorgeous open-plan living room. It was decorated tastefully. Chesterfield chairs and a sofa were accompanied by furniture of a more modern style, yet they complimented each other quite well. Eve’s mouth dropped. It was certainly much better than her old studio. Everything was cramped and she barely had the money to buy a proper chair, so she mainly sat on her second-hand desk chair. Benedict grinned at her. It was wonderful to see her so captivated by what he had to offer her. 

Her. The stunning girl at the cash register. He never went to a convenience store. That night he did. He was in desperate need of cigarettes after a stressful day of shooting a campaign video for a charity. Of course he was out and it was late at night. He had hurried to the convenience store, close to his house in Hampstead Heath, planning to quickly buy cigarettes, head home, pour a stiff drink and relax. Evelyn was a vision. So simple, yet so elegant. Her long neck, her beautiful eyes. It was the first time he had been lost for words. She had looked at him expectantly and he quickly asked for his signature brand. She had tossed the package on the counter and gave him the price. Her voice was clear, yet soft. He had given her the money and had hurried home. That night he fantasized about her and came hard. After that he couldn’t help but visit her whenever it was her late-night shift. He had flirted with her and she had responded shyly, but she seemed interested. Benedict knew that if he was to have her, he had to do something he abhorred. He had to ask her to become his Appointed. After all, there was no other way for a Privileged and an Appointed to be together. He had it all planned out. He would give her a choice. The thought of her going against her will was almost too much to bear. She had to want him as well. 

Benedict led Eve into his study. He was so proud of this room. His favourite books were here, as well as his liquor cabinet. This was the room he would retreat in after a long day at work. Her eyes seemed to sparkle at all the splendour he had to offer. Her dog, Dynah, seemed to like this room as well. She curled up in a corner and went to sleep happily. Benedict smiled to himself. 

“Are you happy?” He asked her. Eve’s smile faded just slightly, but she nodded slowly. “Are you really?” Benedict pressed on. His hand was still on hers and he guided her fingers to his lips. “Tell me if you’re not…”, he whispered and pressed a kiss on the tip of her fingers. “I love this apartment”, she breathed. “It’s yours now too”, he murmured and kissed her fingers again. Her smell was intoxicating, he could hardly restrain himself. She nodded again. Clearly, she was adjusting to the thought. “Do you like me, Eve?” He continued his kisses on her fingers, but kept his eyes locked on hers. “Do you like…this?” Another kiss. Her breath hitched, her pupils blown. Was this what he hoped for? Benedict decided to go for it and slowly he sucked one finger into his mouth. 

Evelyn didn’t know what to do. It felt amazing, it felt terrifying, it felt everything at once. The wetness of his mouth on something as simple as her finger made her dizzy. Her heart thumped in her throat, her mouth went dry. She couldn’t answer his questions. Instead she stared at him wide-eyed, lips lightly parted, her chest heaving. Benedict smiled wickedly and pulled her closer to him. He guided the hand he was holding around his neck and his other arm snaked around her waist. “We’ll take it slow, if you want”, he whispered as he leaned in. His chest against hers, arms around each other and his lips so desperately close to hers. He could almost taste her. “Would you like me to take it sl-“ She caught him by surprise when she pressed her full lips on his. Benedict hummed approvingly and pulled her impossibly closer. His tongue gently probed, asking approval. Eve let out a small sigh and allowed him. The taste, the contact, the wetness sent shivers down his spine. Their tongues snaked and slithered, softly, tentatively. He broke contact and gasped. “You’ll be the death of me, my darling.”

He felt so good. So close to her. He smelled fantastic. Evelyn knew she was lost. When he broke the kiss she felt lonely and needed him back. He obliged and returned to kissing her. Each kiss more urgent than the one before. His hands trailed over her back and she felt his hardness press against her. She wanted it all. She needed it all. When he released her mouth once more and trailed kisses down her neck she gasped his name. “Ben…”

Her hands tangled into his soft, ginger curls. His fingers fumbled with her blouse and finally he managed to undo a few buttons, just enough to slip his hand inside and cup her left breast. His thumb rubbed over the hardening nipple, then he dipped down and suckled, the fabric of the her bra still in the way. Electric waves surged through her. A moan escaped, urging him to suck harder. “God”, he breathed, “you are simply exquisite, my dear.”

Ben pressed her against the wall, his large hand lifting one leg up and hooking it around his waist. His free hand travelled down her chest, over her stomach and slowly he hiked up her skirt. “Keep looking at me”, he demanded, “Don’t look away.” He watched her intently as he rubbed light circles over her mound. Eve’s mouth was open, her breath was quickening. Slowly, he peeled her panties aside and slipped his thumb past her wet folds. Eve bucked and gasped. “There we are”, Ben chuckled. His thumb rubbed her most sensitive nub as he watched her face. She never broke eye contact. Soft whimpers escaped from her throat, but her eyes were fixed on his. Benedict increased the intensity on her clitoris and slipped another finger into her. “Oh God…” Eve moaned and she started shaking. 

“Enough…” Ben groaned. He swiftly picked her up and moved her on his desk. He quickly undid his belt as Evelyn unzipped his jeans. Ben pulled his jeans and boxers down halfway and pressed into her suddenly. They both gasped, open mouth to open mouth. Eve tensed slightly, the feeling of being filled so suddenly almost too much to handle. Ben pulled out slightly, then pushed in again, building a steady, slow rhythm. His mouth kissed the corner of her lips, then her cheek, her neck, while maintaining his slow thrusts.  
“Oh…Ben…I can’t”, Eve moaned. Her hips grinding urgently, needing him to quicken the pace. Benedict was relentless. “Patience”, he groaned and licked at her lips. She spurred him on with her heels and Ben’s breath caught in his throat. “Very well then.” He slammed into her hard, causing her to scream. Slowly he pulled almost all the way out and slammed into her again. “Yes…” she growled, urging him on, “yes…”

“My, my”, Ben chuckled, “Sweet, innocent Eve has a dark side.” He slammed into her again, increasing his pace. Eve’s moans filled the room with each thrust. Small drops of sweat formed on Benedict’s forehead as he concentrated on making this woman his, utterly and completely. 

“Come for me, darling. I want to see you come completely undone, all because of me”, Benedict urged. He drove his hardness deep into her, buried to the hilt and started grinding his hips. He sucked in a breath, feeling his own orgasm approaching. He pulled back one more time and sunk deep into her again. 

Eve screamed. Lights, fireworks all flashing before her. She shuddered and shook, her hips moving erratically. Her walls clenched around him and Ben cursed. “Fuck…” His own orgasm overtook him as he spilled into her. Long, drawn out moans escaping from his lips. Then he collapsed on top of her, his head resting on her chest.  
After a long blissful silence, Evelyn spoke. “Yes…I like you.” She felt him smile against her. Ben lifted his head and kissed her lovingly. “I mean it, Eve. I will make you happy. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each chapter will alternate between first-person and third-person perspective. I normally don't write smut (and am a little rusty on writing, as it's been quite a few years), so forgive me if it's not really up to standard.


	3. A beautiful morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn wakes up next to Benedict. Their physical relationship unfolds. Ben explores how Eve feels about dirty talk.

It was early. When I opened my eyes it was still dark outside. I groaned softly and looked at the clock on the nightstand next to me. 5.30 AM. Unbelievable. It was always so incredibly hard for me to just sleep the night through. I sighed and rolled over. Suddenly, I was aware of the form next to me.

Benedict was still sleeping, facing me. His mouth was slightly open, his breathing deep and peaceful. God, he was simply beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky?

I smiled softly, snuggling closer under the blanket and watched his face. I couldn’t help myself and leaned in closer, closing my eyes and brushing my lips against his ever so softly.

Ben made a small, startled noise. Something between a snore and a breath. It made me chuckle. I opened my eyes and saw him looking back at me sleepily.

“Hi”, I whispered.

“Hi”, he replied.

“I didn’t mean to wake you. I’m sorry.”

Ben smiled softly and leaned in a little bit. “It’s OK. I liked what you were doing.” His lips found mine again. He kissed me tenderly, his arm slipping around me to pull me closer.

I loved smelling him. It was intoxicating. Ben deepened the kiss and I sighed. He fumbled with my nightdress, attempting to pop the buttons. He let out a frustrated moan after discovering he wasn’t able to get to his goal with one hand. I helped him, opening a few buttons and he eagerly massaged my breast, now and then pinching my hardening nipple. I gasped softly, only urging him on.

My hands travelled over his back to his buttocks, giving them a gentle squeeze before moving back over his back towards his chest. His lips never left mine as he now trailed towards my thighs, tracing light circles over my sensitive skin. I sighed against his mouth, my own fingers finding his growing member. I rubbed him over his boxers and Ben groaned, pressing himself against my hand.

Ben broke our passionate kiss with a quivering sigh. His beautiful eyes staring at me pleadingly. “Would you…”, he started, but then seemed to change his mind.

“Tell me…”

“Take me in your mouth?” As he gave his request he laid his hand against my vulva, adding just the right amount of pressure.

Without further more preamble I obliged. I licked his chest, circling around his nipples, then leaving a wet trail over his stomach and abdomen. I crawled in between his legs, nipping at his inner thighs and peeling his boxers off at the same time. I paused for a moment, looking up at his gorgeous face. Ben was watching me intently, not stirring.

I gave a long lick over his shaft. Ben’s breath hitched in his throat. My hands cupped his balls, softly massaging them and rolling them between my fingers as I slipped my lips over the head of his cock.

Ben groaned, lifting his hips off the bed. “God, yes…”, he moaned. I took him all the way in my mouth, deep down. I had never done that before and I suddenly felt I had to gag just a bit. The tightening of my throat made Ben shout and grab my head. “Fuck!” he growled and started moving his hips, thrusting into my mouth. I gagged again. Ben stopped suddenly, realizing what was happening.

“Oh God…darling. I’m so sorry.”

He pulled me up towards him and kissed my lips tenderly. “Oh my darling. You are amazing.”

I felt myself blush as Benedict gazed at me smiling. “Let me return the favour…” he whispered as he turned me on my back.

“Ben, what are you-“ I started, but he shushed me. He moved my nightdress over my head, exposing my breasts. He leaned over my chest, first lazily kissing one nipple and then the other. His hands moved up and down over my body. Finally, he kissed down over my body, pausing as he reached my black, lace panties. He smiled up at me, hooking his fingers into the waistband of my panties and sliding them over my hips and down my legs.

“You know what I will do…right?” He spoke with a low, lustful voice. He was so close to my sex that I felt every breath teasing my lips. I shook my head to his question.

“I want to taste you, Eve. I want to feel your gorgeous clit between my lips. I want to lick it slowly and suck it so softly, so agonizingly softly that you’ll beg for me to fuck you so hard you’ll be sore for weeks.”

The dirty talk sent shock waves down my body. I widened my eyes and wanted to protest, but my wetness was betraying me. Ben smiled wickedly.

“Look at how wet I’m making you. You are gorgeous, my dear. You pretend to be this righteous, innocent girl, but deep inside you’re just a little slut, aren’t you?”

“Ben, please…” I pleaded. It made me uncomfortable. Yet it excited me. I didn’t really know what to think. Next to that, the fact he was driving me insane with his mouth so close to me, was enough to send me over the edge.

Benedict lightly parted my lips and softly licked over my clit. “Ahh…”, I whined and he decided that was enough of an incentive to take my sensitive nub between his lips and suck. He suckled softly, as he promised. I thought I was going to pass out with pleasure. His long, slender finger slipped into my opening. I grasped the sheet of the bed helplessly. “Oh, Ben…stop….don’t stop…Ben…” I whimpered. Ben flicked his tongue against my clit, while adding another finger. He started pumping vigorously, licking and flicking harder and faster. I couldn’t stop myself from screaming. My lips formed in a constant “o”.

Suddenly, he stopped.

I stared at him dumbfounded, but I didn’t have much time to recover. He swiftly moved up, hovering over me and guided his cock towards my entrance. With a sudden thrust he was all the way inside of me.

I squeeled, he gasped. “Shit, you’re tight…” he breathed and pulled out almost all the way, only to give another powerful thrust. “I need to fuck you so bad…” he moaned as he started thrusting. I just couldn’t respond anymore. He filled me up so completely, physically and mentally. I could just lie there, feel him, take him, love him. I wouldn’t be able to describe the pleasure I was feeling. Ben sped up, the sounds of slapping flesh and our moans filling the room.

“I’m…going to-“, I begged.

“No…”, Ben said, “not yet. Together. Together or not at all…”

He pumped impossibly harder and I felt tears streaming down my face. It was too much. Too good. I couldn’t deal. I couldn’t hold back.

“Not yet, Evelyn. Not yet”, Ben demanded, almost out of breath himself.

He hit it. A spot that no one ever found before. I widened my eyes and felt my walls clench around him. Ben shouted and then nodded. “Now, Eve…come…come for me, Eve. Come with me…”

I screamed, shaking, clawing at his back and he held on tight. His sounds more of a low growl.

Slowly the intense pleasure ebbed away. I had my eyes closed tight, holding on to him, looking for stability. I cried. Silent tears just streaming down my face. Ben rolled on his back and pulled me towards him, his arms wrapped tightly around me. He shushed me, kissed my temples and cooed. “I’m here”, he whispered, “I’ll always be here…”

Finally, I smiled. I didn’t understand why I was so incredibly lucky. What had I ever done to deserve someone so wonderful? I didn’t care that we could never marry. I didn’t care I had to be on birth control, because we weren’t allowed to have children. I was content with just being with him. I was falling more and more in love with him. Suddenly, I understood all those Appointed that said they would never leave their Privileged and who were all for these laws. I was one of them. Life was beautiful. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few weeks have passed and Evelyn is confronted with the fact she will never be her own person anymore when Benedict presents her with a "surprise"

“This arrived in the mail today”, Benedict said. His eyes betrayed his uncertainty as he held the tiny box up for Evelyn to see.

A month had passed after Benedict registered Evelyn as his Appointed. It was a process they were obligated to go through.

“What is it?”

“Well, you know”, Benedict started shyly, “Appointed need to wear this when they go out on their own…”

Eve had forgotten all about that. It did make her feel rather horrible. “Oh”, she said softly, “Yes, of course…I should wear that.”

Her small, slender hands opened the tiny box to reveal a shiny, silver broche with a large letter “A” in it. She couldn’t help but be reminded of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Or worse, Anne Frank…

“Darling, you don’t need to wear that.” Benedict tried to comfort her, but he knew it was useless. There was absolutely no way he could keep their relationship quiet, which would mean everyone would know he took an Appointed. He had to have it registered. He had no choice. A normal relationship was not possible, unless he would have fallen in love with another Privileged. Ben shook his head. It wasn’t his fault that he had fallen for a regular girl. No wonder there were so many celebrities who had one…or more…

Ben frowned at that thought. The idea there would be someone else next to Eve was preposterous. She was everything to him. He loved her. He only wanted her. When he woke up in the morning, when he went to bed at night. Her eyes, her smile, her voice completed him. And her body…God, her body. Her long, slender frame curled up against his…her auburn curls so beautiful on her milky white skin. He envisioned this beauty in his head. He was holding her in a tight embrace, while a beautiful blonde was pressed against his back-

No.

“Are you OK, dear?”

Her voice awoke him from his disturbing daydream. He was perfectly fine with just her. He would never abuse the privileges he was given. It was cruel, unnatural. He simply couldn’t. And he loved Eve. He loved her so much…

“Darling”, Eve laughed, “Are you awake?”

Ben nodded with a wry smile. “Yes, I just hate that you are being objectified. You understand that I wouldn’t, right?”

Evelyn leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “Of course”, she murmured, “It’s part of the rules now. I’m registered as your Appointed. I suppose that this will just make it all official.” She pinned the small broche on the breast pocket of her jacket. “I’ll wear it as a badge of honour”, she chuckled.

“That’s my girl”, Ben laughed as he pulled her in a warm embrace. He breathed in her scent and sighed. Flashes of the beautiful blonde rudely interfering in his mind. He tensed his muscles and Evelyn frowned, pulling away from him slightly.

“Ben, really….you seem disturbed by something. Is it the broche?”

“No…”

“I wish you would tell me, darling.” Eve’s eyes radiated concern.

“Benedict shook his head. “There’s nothing. It’s OK”

“I really don’t want there to be any secrets between us, OK?”

“I said it’s nothing, Evelyn. For God’s sake. You don’t even have a right to demand anything from me.”

Her face became instantly pale and Benedict regretted his harshness immediately. She pressed her lips in a thin line as she pulled herself from his arms completely and turned to pour herself a coffee. She said nothing.

“Eve, I’m sorry.”

“It’s OK. You’re right, of course. I know I don’t.”

“God, no. I don’t want you to think that. This is not why I asked you to be here. To be with me.”

“Why did you ask me, Ben? Why an Appointed?”

It was a question he had prepared an answer for many times. When the laws were passed he was resolved to never get involved in such an inhumane thing, but now everyone accepted it as something normal. He had envisioned himself answering the question for a press conference, to his agent, his mother, his father, his fans. He just forgot what he should answer if Evelyn would ask the question herself.

“I don’t know, Eve”, he decided on telling her the truth. “In all honesty, I never really thought this far. I wanted you. I asked you to be with me. You said yes, which was already more than I ever hoped for.”

“You realize that Appointed don’t have a choice when they are asked?” Evelyn pointed out.

“That’s not true, Eve. I asked you privately and no one but you and I were involved in this. I gave you a choice. I understand that most Privileged don’t do this, but I certainly did. I don’t believe in holding you captive.”

Eve sighed. It was such a difficult thing to be involved in. It didn’t matter much what was going on between her and Benedict, the outside world would see her as an object. She was a thing and she could be used by her Privileged. She could never marry him. She could never have his children. She was only allowed to be his concubine.

Suddenly, the realization hit her hard. Did she really agree to this? Why did it not matter to her before? It was such a ridiculous situation. Evelyn clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from crying.

“Eve…”, Ben said helplessly.

She choked back a sob and shook her head.

“It’s stupid”, she sniffed, frantically wiping at her eyes. “I just suddenly realized we can’t be much more than…this…Privileged and Appointed…that’s it…”

Ben frowned. He really hadn’t thought all of this through and just kind of gave in to his passion. All he could see for the longest time was just him and her together. He laid a hand on her small shoulder and massaged it gently.

“I could name you my First Appointed…” he tried, “We could make it a ceremony with close friends and family. That would be kind of like a wedding, right?”

She smiled sadly. “Not really, but thanks for trying…” She turned and buried her face in his chest. “Wouldn’t a First Appointed only make sense if you would have more Appointed?”

The beautiful Blonde entered his mind again and Ben swiftly imagined sending her away.

“I suppose”, he mumbled, “we’ll have to think of something then.”

“Did you pack?” Evelyn decided to change the subject. It was probably better to just accept the situation she was in as it was. “Your ride will be here in about half an hour.”

“Yeah, I have everything in the study”. He stepped away from her and ran a hair through his curls. “Did the dye take? I’m afraid I missed some strands.”

She smiled, reached up and ran her hand through his hair. “I love this colour on you. It makes you look so mysterious. It looks fine.”

Ben nodded. “You’ll be OK without me? I understand that 6 weeks is a long time…”

“I”ll be fine”, Evelyn confirmed. “I’ll call you if anything’s wrong, but I can’t imagine anything would happen.”

“I’m just afraid people will…-“

“Disrespect me?” Eve finished what Ben was thinking. “Oh, darling, they will. I’m an Appointed. I’m in limbo. Not an angel nor a demon. But there’s no place I’d rather be. You know that right?”

Benedict nodded. She was so perfectly loyal. He knew that she would never betray him. Not only would that be punishable by death, but the very thought of it would never even cross her mind. He lucked out.

“I’ll go get my bags. Trust me, filming will be over before you know it. I’ll call you every opportunity I get, OK?”

His ride honked the horn of his car outside.

“Great timing”, Eve smiled and turned on her heels to help Ben with his bags. They brought the bags to the car in silence, simply enjoying each other’s company as much as they could.

Benedict put his bags in the boot and closed it with a snap before turning to his love.

“Be good”, he whispered, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

“Never”, she winked and he smiled.

He got into the car, after glancing at her one more time. Evelyn watched the car pull out and zoom into the street. She watched it until she couldn’t see it anymore, slowly trying to adjust to the idea that the only person she could depend on in this fucked up world had to be so far away from her…


	5. We're fine. Honestly!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve and Benedict have been together for 8 months. Evelyn likes to deny it, but the first cracks in their relationship are forming. 
> 
> \---------  
> I have been incredibly busy with work. Sorry it took me so long to upload!

"I'm sure of it. She's wearing the letter."

It was rather unbelievable that people really thought I wouldn't hear them. I knew what they were thinking. I was a harlet, a whore. I was nothing more than a personal slave to someone who deserved so much better than me.

I turned to the two women, proudly showing off what I now called my "badge of honour". They weren't amused. The woman with the poor dye-job stuck her nose in the air and muttered the word "prostitute" under her breath.

I sighed. If it was such an accepted thing and it was normal, then why were Appointed still treated this way? It's not like most of them have a choice in the matter. Why would people act like we do? I got my groceries for the week and decided to leave this hideously public area. I preferred the comfort and intimacy of Benedict's house. I was safe there. I was welcome there. Despite Ben's absence I still had my dog there, who would love me no matter what. It was a comforting thought.

Benedict was gone for filming for the third time this year. We had been together for 8 months now. It was blissful most of the time. Now and then we had an argument over who had to clear our the dishwasher or whose turn it was to walk the dog. It was all so wonderfully "normal" that I never felt like I was being treated like an Appointed while I was with him. It was only out and about that I was confronted with my "title".

As I made my way down the street my eye fell on the headlines of several newspapers at the news stand.

PRIVILEGED PANDAMONIUM

VIOLATION OF RIGHTS?

  
APPOINTED LIBERATION FRONT: THREAT OR BLUFF?

  
Appointed Liberation Front? I had never heard of it before. 

The man at the newspaper stand eyed the letter on my chest strangely. Perhaps Benedict was right and I shouldn't wear it. However, one identity check on the streets and I would most certainly be whisked off to the police station, because I might be "disrespecting my Privileged". I gave him the money and took the newspaper with me. 

My heart was pumping in my throat as I made my way home. Prying eyes made me uncomfortable and the fact that I didn't have Ben with me to protect me made me feel incredibly vulnerable. 

I reached his door, fumbled for my keys with shaking hands and entered as quick as I could, newspaper still clutched in my left hand. 

I caught my breath, leaning against the doorframe and finally opened the newspaper.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPOINTED LIBERATION FRONT: THREAT OR BLUFF?

Several Privileged who are in the possession of an Appointed have reported they have been threatened by a rebel group. The group, calling themselves the Appointed Liberation Front, has released a statement indicating they believe that the Appointed Policy is a violation of human rights.

The rebels state they will "fight until justice is restored".

J.J. Harvey, succesful author of the self-help series for Privileged _How to train your Appointed_ , claims the group has thrown bricks with warnings through his windows. "My Appointed is perfectly happy with me. I reward her for good behaviour. She's perfectly obedient, so she has nothing to wish for. I don't see why anyone would want to change that."

Police is still investigating the identity of the founders of the group. As for now one can only speculate.

Harvey: "I saw a tall, slender man running away after the second brick came crashing through my window. I couldn't quite see his face. He might have been wearing a mask. He definitely had dark blonde curls."

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An Appointed Liberation Front could certainly work, as long as Benedict wouldn't be painted as the villain. He had been nothing but courteous during our relationship. Granted that I hadn't heard anything from him in two weeks. This happened sometimes when he was away. He would be busy and wouldn't have time to call. It was much better not to check up on him. That would only irritate him and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Ben could hold onto his irritations for quite a while. In 8 months that was probably the thing that bugged me most. However, overall he was still amazing...

Really.

He really was.

Honestly...


	6. No Way Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benedict introduces Kate to Evelyn. Kate is to be Ben's second Appointed. Evelyn has a hard time accepting this and Ben reveals his darker nature.

“Darling, please…say something”, Ben pleaded. His eyes searched Eve’s face, but she was turned away from him, one hand clapped over her mouth.

The pretty girl next to Benedict shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. She looked nervously from her Privileged to Evelyn, who was losing a fight against the tears that stained her face. Ben laid one hand reassuringly on her knee. She beamed a smile at him, letting him know she was OK. He smiled back at her, but then flashed a warning look to the brunette who was to be his First Privileged.

“Evelyn. You know you don’t really have a choice in the matter”, Ben warned. “This conversation is a formality, but you know I am not doing anything I am not entitled to. I want Kate in our lives. I’m asking you to accept that, but I don’t _have_ to have your permission.”

Kate nodded to Evelyn. She wasn’t too sure whether or not to feel sorry for her. She wasn’t too sure how she would have responded herself. Evelyn had spent almost a year together with Benedict. She was used to being the only one. Heck, she probably thought she would always be the only one. She must have known the chance was there that Ben could fall for someone else, right? He would be in his right to simply take two Appointed. In Kate’s opinion, she was the one with the short end of the deal. Ben had explicitly told her she would be joining a household that already had an Appointed and he was very clear about the fact that he would ask Evelyn to become his First Appointed. Evelyn would have more privileges and the fact that Ben told her this immediately probably also meant he truly loved her.

The silence was almost too much to bear. Eve simply didn’t know how to respond to this. The pretty girl, Kate, who was sitting next to Ben, was so strikingly different from her. She was blonde, glamorous, animated, and confident. Eve was always rather aware that she was fairly plain. Her brown hair was usually tied in a convenient pony tail or would simply frame her face. She was usually quiet and thoughtful. Her preferred items of clothing included a simple top and jeans and sneakers. Kate was absolutely stunning. She had a rocking body that was clad in a skintight red dress, complemented by knee-high boots. She felt a sharp pain in her heart as she remembered the last time she worked out was almost three years ago. How could she compete with this woman? How could Benedict even suggest this? Weren’t they supposed to stay together, just the two of them? They had fantasized about getting married!

“Eve”, Ben broke the silence once more, “I need to know now.”

“What if I say no?” Eve whispered. She wiped a tear from her face and looked away from them. She couldn’t deal with this. The whole situation was absurd and this was exactly the sort of ordeal she wished to avoid and why she had condemned the Appointed before.

Ben hadn’t really expected that question. At least, he hadn’t prepared an answer for it. He sighed softly and shook his head. “I suppose I would say that you wouldn’t have a choice. That it’s going to happen regardless.”

Eve let out a shaky breath and nodded slowly. “And what if that means I’d want to leave?”

Benedict’s expression hardened. His eyes turned cold, his mouth stretched into a thin line. “You can’t leave, Evelyn.”

She finally looked at him and it took him off guard. The expression on her face was one of such sadness that he could almost hear his own heart breaking. “Would you hold me prisoner, Ben? I thought you gave me a choice?”

“That was then”, Ben answered softly. “I can’t let you go, Eve. You’ve got to understand that you do mean very much to me.”

“Just not enough”, Eve retorted and gave a quick glance to Kate.

“If I may…” Kate said timidly, “You would still have an advantage over me, Evelyn.”

“Really? How is that?”

“Well, you would be First Appointed. Right, Ben?” Kate turned to the man she could now proudly call her Privileged.

“Yeeess…” Ben said slowly, “though I had planned to ask her in private.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, darling.” Kate answered and Eve felt a pang of jealousy.

“Would it be some reconciliation, Eve?” Ben asked helplessly. “If you would become First Appointed?”

Eve let out a sad laugh and shook her head. “Some reconciliation? Benedict, you’re asking me if it’s OK if you can build your own little harem and you’re offering me the role of head whore. I’ve never felt like a whore before, Ben. Now I see I mean little else to you.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Ben had gotten off the sofa suddenly and within a flash he had crossed over to Eve and pulled her up from her seat. His hands clutched the fabric of her shirt and he pulled her face close to his, a few inches away. She felt his hot breath on her cheeks, his nostrils flared, his eyes were wild. She realised that she had to stand on her toes or he would literally pull her off the floor a little. Eve had never been scared of Benedict before…until now.

“Have I ever treated you badly? Have I ever treated you like a whore?! You were family to me, Eve. You meant something. How can you accuse me of this? What gives you the fucking right? You have NO RIGHTS!” He shouted the last two words in her face and Eve whimpered.

Dynah, alarmed by the sudden shouting and her owner’s distress, barked loudly at the pair. Ben looked down at the small dog and gave Eve a rough push, back on her seat. He swiftly scooped the small bundle of fur up and strode towards the door.

Eve was flabbergasted for a moment, then sprang up and ran after Ben. “What are you doing? Where are you going? Where are you taking her?”

“Away”, Ben said gruffly as he held the struggling dog in one arm and opened the door with his free hand.

“What do you mean?” Eve’s voice trembled. She reached out and grabbed Ben’s shoulder, but he jerked it from her grasp.

“I’ll give you a reason to be upset, Evelyn. I’ll show you how bad it could be.”

“Ben, please…stop. Give her back to me.”

“She was another privilege I gave you, Evelyn. Do you remember? I allowed you to keep her. That’s over now.”

“Where are you taking her?” Eve screamed in sheer panic.

Ben paused and looked at her with menacing eyes. She didn’t know him like this.

“To the vet…”

He closed the door and swallowed when he heard Eve screaming as he walked down the path towards his car. 


	7. You're mine

I was numb. All I could do was sit and stare out the window. Kate decided that it was probably best to leave me alone. She was not wrong.

Benedict had returned a few hours ago. I didn't care. He took everything from me. He knew what Dynah meant to me and now she was gone.

"Eve..." I heard Ben leaning against the doorframe of the study. I couldn't look at him. Not now.

"Evelyn, can we talk...?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Silent tears rolling down my cheeks. All I could think of was the day I got Dynah. She was never frightened of me. We loved each other from the very first moment and she had been my companion and best friend ever since. Ben knew this. How could he?

"Was it quick...?" I croaked. I had been crying for hours,  I was exhausted. I felt broken.

"I didn't stay..." Ben whispered.

"So she died alone..." I started to sob again. I had such a hard time comprehending this was really happening.

Ben sighed and walked over to me, joining me on the leather sofa. He stared out of the window with me. We just sat there for a while. Finally, he broke the silence.

"You are an Appointed, Eve. This comes with certain privileges and with certain restrictions. I'm not proud of what I have done just now. This will haunt me for the rest of my life."

I heard him swallow. I wasn't sure what he wanted from me. Was I supposed to forgive him? He killed my best friend.

"I have talked to other Privileged. It is true that I'm probably too soft for all of this. And then I met Kate. It all happened before I really knew what was happening. I'm in love, Eve. I love her. But I love you too. Isn't the point of being a Privileged that we don't have to make these choices? I can love you both."

I didn't care anymore. I could only see him as a monster. Why didn't he just let me go?

"I'm sorry about Dynah, sweetheart. I really am. Perhaps...", he paused, probably knowing he was treading on dangerous grounds, "perhaps now your heart will have more room for me..."

I turned to him. More room for him? Was he seriously blaming my dog for me not accepting a second Appointed? I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off.

"That came out wrong. I'm sorry. I'm so confused, darling. All I want for you is to love me. Please, don't look at me as if you hate me."

I realised it suddenly. I had power over him. A strange sort of power that I never asked for. Lawfully, he could do with me as he pleased, but emotionally I had the upper hand. I was angry, so I decided to punish him.

I didn't speak to him for several weeks. Not a word. Not one.

It made him and Kate nervous. This silent presence in their house. I would drink, eat and sleep. Ben embarked on an emotional rollercoaster. He would try to make me communicate with him by threatening me, wooing me, pleading with me, ignoring me, shaking me, hugging me. Anything. I didn't budge.

During one of his rages he banished me to the guest room. As he had intended to make me First Appointed that room was originally for Kate and I was to share the main bedroom with Benedict. He turned it around to punish me. It didn't work. We hadn't had sex since before he brought Kate home, so we weren't really missing anything.

Sometimes, I would hear them. I would hear her urge him on and his strangled moans as he came. Sweet nothings that were reserved for me were now whispered to this woman that barged in on my life and ruined it. She was probably not to blame, but I couldn't stand her. She was too perfect, too sweet, too fake. Ben told me he chose me, because I was real. She was the complete opposite of me. It was insulting and it simply made me hate them more. Both of them. Unadulterated hatred.

I would fantasize about escaping. In the middle of the night. I would grab my stuff and go. I'd find the Liberation Front. I'd ask them to help me. They would probably take me in.

I was also frightened. If I was caught, I would be brought to justice. No one ever heard of an Appointed being executed for betraying their Privileged, but everybody kind of knew it happened. It was kept out of the media. The thought that it could happen to me was terrifying. Yet sometimes I thought it might just be better. Better than this...

More days of silence passed. I also didn't join Kate and Ben for dinner. I would eat separately from them. Ben hated that. Today, he chose not to comment on it. They were chatting away happily and I was watching a news item on the Liberation Front. They were becoming more prominent. The identity of the founder was still shrouded in mystery. He was spotted at times. No one ever saw his face.

"What are you watching?" Benedict asked suddenly. I didn't respond as he joined me on the sofa. Kate, evidently annoyed with the attention he gave me, left the room. Ben's brow was furrowed in a worried expression. "Idiots..." he mumbled. "This is asking for trouble."

I was burning with anger inside. He would think this was idiotic now and yet I remembered a time he wished for the Appointed to be freed. He wanted it to happen, so we could marry and be happy.

"You're not thinking of joining them, are you?" He asked with half a chuckle, but I detected a hint of worry in his voice. "My darling, the lives they lead are a hundred times worse than yours. I hear they are camped up in a bunker somewhere outside of the city. No one really knows where. They have limited food supply. The Appointed that are - as they say it - freed can't ever go outside. If they are caught, the whole organization will be brought down. I can understand peaceful protests, but this particular organization will just bring things from bad to worse...wouldn't you agree?"

I remained quiet. I wasn't about to break my vow of silence for this. I heard Ben sigh sadly. Then he leaned in and kissed the very sensitive skin in my neck, just below my ear. He knew that was just the right spot for me. I fought a shiver.

I couldn't really fool myself, you know. All that passion and love I had felt for this man. I wanted it back, really. My love for him wasn't completely gone. However, I needed him to suffer and this was the only way I knew how to do that.

"I have a present for you", Ben whispered in my ear. I couldn't help but be curious. Did he think presents would win me over? "I went out this morning to get it for you. Perhaps this will make you talk."

Aha. It was a trick. He did want to make me talk.

Ben got up and went into the back yard. I stayed on the sofa motionless, completely resolved to ignore him no matter what.

I heard the back door open and Ben chattered excitedly. Then I heard a bark.

I sprang up.

"Go on. Go and greet her", Ben said.

In front of me, barking and wagging her tail was Dynah. Alive and well.

I broke. I sank to my knees, pulled her close to me and sobbed with her in my arms. Dynah licked the hot tears from my cheeks. Ben stood smiling before me.

"I would never do that to you, my love..." he said as he joined Dynah and me on the floor. "Never in a million years would I do something like that. I just needed your attention. I kept her with friends of mine. They took really good care of her. I told them you were ready to have her back this morning, so I picked her up."

Benedict pulled me and Dynah in a hug. We sat like that on the floor. I was so confused. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know whether I should be thankful for Dynah's life or be furious with Ben for tricking me like that. Ben hugged me, I held onto Dynah. The poor dog was probably gasping for air. Ben kissed that sweet spot below my ear again. Then again. Finally, he released me from his embrace.

I let Dynah go, she shook her fur and trodded off to the study happily. I never took her toys and cushion away and she knew exactly where to find it.

Benedict watched me with expecting eyes. I still hadn't said a word. He leaned in and kissed the corner of my lips. Then he pulled back a little, looked at me through heavy eyelids, then leaned in again to kiss the other corner. I didn't move. Ben pulled back again, searched my face, then pressed his lips on mine in a long and loving kiss.

I sighed.

Ben smiled.

His hands cupped my face and he looked at me. This time I looked back at him.

"I love you", he murmured.

I nodded.

Again his lips found mine, but now they clearly demanded more. His tongue opened my lips and Ben deepened the kiss with unbridled passion. I gave in. My tongue danced with his as Benedict pressed himself tighter against me, his hands gripping my waist.

"Fuck..." he gasped as he broke the kiss and started nipping at my shoulder, neck, cheek and ear "I love you so much...so much." His impatience was evident as I noticed the bulge in his trousers. He fumbled with the buttons of my dress. Then he started cursing and ripped the dress open, buttons flying everywhere. "I'll buy you a new one", he mumbled as his mouth claimed mine again.

His hands seemed to be everywhere. They roamed my body to caress every inch of exposed skin. Finally, he undid my bra and lifted me up off the floor to set me down on the sofa again. He slipped my panties over my hips and looked at me intently.

I wanted this as much as he did. I couldn't help myself.

Ben leaned over me and kissed me everywhere. My breasts, my stomach, my thighs. As he moved down to my sex, I pulled him up.

"Never mind that", I whispered. "I want you now..."

I helped him undo his jeans and he slipped  his trousers and boxers down in one swift movement. Ben hovered over me and guided his erection to my entrance. He gave me one more questioning look and as I nodded he thrust inside of me. I gasped, holding onto him. I needed to get used to his size and the feeling of being filled so suddenly. Ben slipped his hands under my buttocks and lifted me off the sofa a little, allowing him to enter me deeper. My eyes rolled back, the feeling was so incredibly intense. I had missed him. I loved feeling him. I needed him to be buried so deep inside of me.

Benedict kissed and licked at my mouth, slowly building a rhythm. The slight curve of his cock allowed the head to hit my g-spot with every thrust. I thought I was going insane with pleasure. He searched for my mouth as he fucked me slowly and intensely. I obliged. He licked at my lips, I licked at his. Whenever our tongues intertwined it was like fireworks. The erotic sensation of his taste, our wet and eager tongues fighting, his cock buried to the hilt, our moans, his fingers kneading my flesh were almost too much to bear.

"Christ, you feel so good. I missed this", he breathed. I tried to push myself up to meet him even more. Ben hissed and gritted his teeth. I moaned in his ear. "I won't hold it much longer if you keep making sounds like that..." he chuckled and gave a powerful thrust. I gasped loudly. Ben pulled out almost all the way and slammed deep inside of me again. I let out a scream. Each and every sound made him pull back and slam into me harder. He didn't pick up the pace though. I didn't mind. He had never made me feel like this before.

Ben slipped a hand between us and allowed it to travel down. He grinned wickedly as his fingers found my clitoris. He continued his agonizingly slow love-making as he rubbed my sensitive nub, the head of his cock continuing to rub against my g-spot.

I was lost. Absolutely lost. All I could do was let him have me. My orgasm had never been that intense before. Waves upon waves picked me up and made me crash back down again. My mouth was open, my eyes were open, but I'm not sure if I was making any sounds. My walls clenched around him, milking every last drop of seed. Ben shuddered and jerked. His eyes were shut tight. I could hear him cry out his passion as if he was far away. As if mountains and mountains of warm blankets were muffling his sounds.

I slowly came to and Benedict was holding me tightly. My naked, sweaty body curled against his. Ben kissed my temple and smiled. "You’re mine...", he said simply.

My heart sank.


	8. The Founder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The problems between Ben and Eve are relentless. During a walk that was supposed to clear her mind, Evelyn meets the founder of the Appointed Liberation Front.

Kate knew she was winning.

She was dicing tomatoes for tonight’s dinner and smiled triumphantly as she listened to Benedict and Evelyn arguing for the umpteenth time. It had become a regular situation in their household. Kate didn’t care much for Eve and the feeling was definitely mutual. Ben had tried to make it work, but it was obvious that Evelyn did not really fit the role of an Appointed.

It was different for Kate. She was 22 and fully trained in the role of an Appointed. Her parents, both simple office workers, had prepared her for the inevitable. Kate was pretty. Her life would be so much better if she would become someone’s Appointed. Benedict Cumberbatch was no mean feat. Her parents were less thrilled. She was merely chosen as a second Appointed, which, if she was honest, also surprised Kate. She had worked on her appearance for so long and made sure she would show the right kind of obedience that she thought she would have been the only one for a successful celebrity. When Ben asked her to become his Appointed she had consented excitedly. Only then he told her about Eve. Ben told her she had a choice, but Kate was taken aback by that. She had always learned that once you were asked to be an Appointed, you had no choice. Since she had already given her consent she would play along. Next to that, she was genuinely attracted to Benedict and she counted her blessings for being asked by a handsome actor instead of an old, disheveled politician.

Kate was a good Appointed though. She knew the ropes and the rules. She had studied it carefully for years. She was surprised to see Evelyn, the first time Ben brought her home. In her opinion, Evelyn was too plain and too passionate to be a good Appointed. Kate loved comparing herself to Evelyn. Eve was 31, a little over 9 years older than her. She couldn’t believe that Benedict ever fell for this tired, worn woman.

Kate was convinced that she was better in bed as well. She kept count. Benedict started to invite Kate over more often and Evelyn was banished to the second bedroom more and more. Kate would make sure she was passionate and experimental. She had quite a few tricks up her sleeve and made sure she surprised Benedict every time. Knowing full well that Eve slept in the room next to her, she would make sure she wasn’t quiet. And she’d make sure he wasn’t either.

Whenever Evelyn shared the bed with Benedict, Kate would hear talking. Very rarely did she hear a sigh of pleasure. More often hushed voices would turn into angry voices. It wouldn’t be long and Ben would send Evelyn away. She was sure of it.

Ben let out an exasperated groan. “Christ. If that is how you see it, Evelyn. Whatever. I don’t care anymore.”

Eve kept her eyes on the television. A heated discussion about the Liberation Front was going on. One member at the discussion table believed the Appointed should be given more rights, the other felt they knew full well what they were getting into and that the Liberation Front were nothing more than terrorists disturbing the peace.

“I think that is exactly the problem, Benedict. You promised me a rose garden, but gave me nothing but winter.”

“I’m NOT sending Kate away”, Ben growled. “She would have nothing. I can’t do that. You are aware of what will happen if I end it all, right? She would be left on the streets with nothing. She would be laughed at. Damaged goods. No one would take her in. Christ. She doesn’t know any better than this, Eve. She chose this life and who am I to take this all away from her?”

“You didn’t have to offer her anything to begin with!” Eve snapped.

“Do we need to have the same argument every single day? I cracked, OK? Was it wrong? I guess so, yes. I am human and I make mistakes, Evelyn. We had been sleeping together for a while. I was captivated by her beauty, her youth. Then I asked her. I don’t know why I did, but I did. She said yes. End of story. I’m not sending her away. I wouldn’t do that to her, because it’s cruel. The same goes for you!”

“You’re a fucking hero…”                

Ben roared some profanities at Evelyn and Kate smiled to herself as she set the table. It would truly not be long now.

Dinner was uncomfortable. The three ate their food silently. Kate was a little disappointed. After all, she did slave away in the kitchen for the better part of the day. She caught Benedict’s eye and he gave her an encouraging smile. Evelyn had gone quiet again.

It seemed to be Eve’s go-to-thing-to-do whenever she argued with Ben. She would just give him the silent treatment. It drove Benedict crazy and Eve knew this. Kate felt Evelyn was a bitch for doing this to him. A good Appointed would never dare do this. Benedict was one of a kind. She was surprised at his patience with Eve.

Eve picked at her food, but she wasn’t hungry. A little over a year ago she was happy. She thought nothing would come in between her and Benedict. Part of her wished she could go back to that, another part wished she could go back even further and never consent to being with him.

Something about him kept her captivated though. She wondered if he would really protest if she would just leave. If she meant it. She never did really mean it.

If she would just pack up and leave, she half expected Benedict to accept it. He would be angry, then he would plead, but he’d let her go. She knew this.

Or would he? Perhaps he would call the authorities and then she’d be truly lost. They would take Dynah away from her and after an unfair trial Evelyn would be executed.

Yet something inside of her believed that Ben could never let it get that far. After all, he never did put Dynah down. His heart was too big for that. He was really not that bad…

Loving moments were rare these days. However, yesterday, when Kate was already in bed, they were watching TV side by side. Ben had looked at her and asked her if she hated him. There was so much sadness in his voice that it had startled Eve.

“No, Ben…no…I can’t hate you.” Her answer had been heartfelt and the kiss they shared after was loving and passionate.

Eve recalled his gorgeous lips upon her. The feeling, the love. Last night they had fallen asleep in each other’s arms. He told her he loved her.

Suddenly, she sobbed. She couldn’t stop. She wanted it all back. She wanted him back.

Kate dropped her fork and let out an annoyed sigh. “Oh, for fuck’s sake-“

“Kate, could you clear the table, please?” Ben said suddenly, shooting Kate a warning look.

Without a word the pretty blonde girl did what she was trained for and she obeyed.

Benedict pulled Eve close and sighed. “Oh, my darling. What a mess we’ve got ourselves in…” She breathed in his scent. His arms felt safe and warm, but she was very aware of how treacherous this was. She would let her guards down and everything would simply go back to shit.

Ben cupped her face and gently asked her to look at him. His almond-shaped eyes stared at her intently. She could read a thousand-and-one emotions in them. “We need a serious talk, my love. An adult conversation about our future together and the role Kate will play in it.” Eve nodded. She knew this would happen one day. It was inevitable.

“I think I need a walk first. Dynah needs one as well. I need to clear my head. Do you understand?”

“Of course, darling. I’ll ask Kate to steer clear when you’re back, OK? Take your time.”

It was a cold winter night and the Hampstead air was crisp and clean. Evelyn felt a little jealous of her dog, who seemed so blissfully unaware of all the troubles in the house. However, sometimes Dynah would come and comfort her. Especially if Evelyn was crying her animal companion would feel her sadness and do anything in her fluffy power to cheer her human up.

In the distance Eve heard two men shouting. Then she heard a shot. She gasped and held onto Dynah’s leash. The small dog whimpered.

Two officers emerged from the darkness. Their gear and guns showed they meant business. “You there!” The older officer called to Evelyn. “Have you seen a tall man go by? He was wearing a ski mask.” His eyes fell on the silver letter pinned on Evelyn’s chest. “You are an Appointed, Ma’am?”

Evelyn nodded, a little shaken by all the commotion.

“Who do you belong to?”

Eve felt a pang in her heart. She hated to be considered someone’s property. Before Kate, she had never felt like she was anything of the sort.

  
“Benedict Cumberbatch.”

“He lives around here”, the other officer said. “Could you answer the question, please? Have you seen a man in a ski mask?”

“I would certainly think I would remember such an odd sight, gentlemen”, Eve answered as she found her courage back. “May I ask what is going on?”

The two men exchanged glances and nervously eyed Evelyn’s pin. “I’m not sure…” the younger officer said. Following his gaze, Evelyn looked down at her pin.

“Does this have to do with the Liberation Front?” Eve asked suddenly.

“I’d advise you to stay out of it, Ma’am”, the older officer snapped. Eve raised her eyebrows at the sudden outburst. He just answered her question perfectly.

“If you see or hear anything, please call the police”, the younger officer tried before his superior forced him to move on and keep looking. “He might be bleeding. I think I might have wounded him!” His excited voice revealed some pride and inexperience. As Eve watched the officers move on, searching for the escapee she shook her head.

“I almost feel bad for the poor fellow, Dynah”, Eve muttered as they continued their walk. “At least I have an exciting tale to tell tonight…”

Dynah stopped in her tracks rather abruptly, her ears alert and her nose held high in the air. “What is it, girl?” Eve asked.

Dynah’s sudden energy caught her by surprise and the small tan and white dog yanked the leash from Eve’s grasp. “Dynah!” Eve cried as she watched her dog disappear into a narrow alley with large containers.

Evelyn started towards the alley, but halted when she heard her animal friend yelp. Her eyes widened and she felt her heart thump in her throat. Before her eyes the headlines flashed: “Woman and dog found murdered in dark alley”.

Her feet felt heavy, but she wasn’t about to lose her best friend for the second time. Her whole body trembled as she approached the dangerous-looking alley, her imagination running wild with all the horrors hidden within.

“Stay back!” a voice called as Eve approached the mouth of the alley.

“Please”, Eve mewled, “I just want my dog…Did you hurt her?”

The voice cursed and hissed in pain. “Can’t you just…call her? She was about to bark. I had to keep her quiet. She’s OK…”

Eve gulped and tried to call her dog with a trembling voice. Dynah barked. Then yelped again.

“Fuck”, the voice growled. “She won’t move and she’s too loud…”

“Are you…hurt?” Eve asked. “You sound like you’re in pain.”

“Just get your dog away from me”, the voice answered gruffly.

“If you’re hurt that might be difficult. Dynah has this odd Florence Nightingale sort of thing. She senses when someone’s in trouble and likes to make them feel better. I tell you, she’s a shit guard dog.”

“Well, the more she barks now, the more shit I’ll be in…”

“You’re from the Liberation Front…aren’t you?” Evelyn asked, not able to contain her curiosity.

The voice stayed silent for a moment. Then she heard him sigh. “Did those agents fill you in on that?”

“I kind of guessed it”, Eve admitted. “I’ve been watching the news and the debates.”

There was a pause. Eve held her breath, torn between her curriosity and fear. “I’m the founder”, the voice finally answered.

It was almost like talking to a legendary figure. As if finding out Santa Clause actually exists. This was the man everyone was talking about and nobody knew who he was. Eve felt embarrassingly excited. No matter what the criticism was towards the organization, she had a huge amount of respect for this man who stood up for what he believed. His intentions were noble. He fought for Appointed like Eve. Perhaps the manner was flawed, but it was certainly something to admire.

Eve wasn’t too sure what to do and called her dog again. Dynah didn’t budge and it was clear that whenever the stranger in the alley removed his hands from her snout, the silly animal started to bark happily as if engrossed in a game of some sort.

The voice sighed again. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come here and collect your dog.”

Eve gulped again. Tentatively she walked deeper into the alley, around a large container that blocked her from the stranger and her dog.

On the ground, holding her dog with his right arm, was a tall, slender man. He was dressed in black and wearing a black ski mask. His left arm was bleeding where the officer’s bullet had grazed the skin. Eve sucked in a breath.

“You’re an Appointed”, the man noted, having seen the pin on her chest.

“Yes”, Eve admitted.

“You must hate me then”, the man stated.

“On the contrary”, Eve replied.

She inched forward and kneeled before the wounded man. She hand reached for the wounded arm and the man flinched.

“I have no intention of hurting you”, Eve said softly. “Can I have a look at it?”

The founder of the Liberation Front nodded slowly. Evelyn reached out to his arm, carefully ripping the sleeve around the wound.

“We’ll need to put something on it. Stop the bleeding, at least for a while.” She didn’t have anything on her. He clearly didn’t either. Eve went to rip a part of her skirt, but the man stopped her.

“How would you explain that when you arrive home?” he asked. Evelyn didn’t know how to answer that.

“Please, just control your dog.”

Evelyn took Dynah from him and as she made another sound, she quickly silenced her. One hand gently covering the dog’s snout, while the other held her steady.

The man paused, his blue eyes searching Eve’s face. After making a decision he moved to peel the ski mask off.

Eve’s eyes widened.

Soft dark-blonde curls sprang from under the mask. He swept beads of sweat from his long, straight nose. His thin lips curved into an uncomfortable smile, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

“You?” Eve breathed. “You are the founder of the Liberation Front?”

“Surprised?” Tom Hiddleston asked.

“You’re a Privileged!” Evelyn exclaimed.

Tom winced. “I hate that word. What does it even mean?” He let the word form in his mouth and then spit it out as if it was something nasty. “Privileged…there is nothing privileged about this whole absurd situation. What kind of world do we live in that good people give up their lives to serve others? I have done nothing special to deserve the title. Has your...” he winced again, “Privileged?”

Eve lowered her eyes. The thought of Benedict was too painful. She loved him, but what indeed gave him the right to control her or anyone for that matter? He was a talented actor to be sure. Britain’s Golden Boy. Was that enough to earn him these kind of rights?

Tom’s handsome features softened as he watched her pained expression. “Ah…” he nodded, “I have seen this too many times. You thought you were in it for love. You thought the both of you would survive it all and live a happy life. Now he’s changing?”

Eve choked.

“None of that”, Tom growled. “It’s not worth your tears, love.” He sighed sadly. “It takes a strong sort of person to defy all of these so-called privileges that are thrust upon them. I’ve seen respectable people cave. They think they’re in love and once the relationship is becoming too comfortable, they crave more excitement and passion. They are allowed to do this without being faulted. They might resist the temptation once, twice, even more times. Most often they make one mistake and they are lost. Respectable people, love. Good people. We are driven to villainous acts and you are expected to degrade yourselves. The only way to stop this is to take down the people who are responsible for these laws to begin with.”

Tom started dabbing at the wound with his ski mask. Eve loosened her grip on her dog. Dynah, having finally calmed down sat and watched the pair curiously. These humans with their human problems were sometimes too difficult to understand.

“Who is your Privileged?” Tom asked.

Evelyn sighed. She wanted to avoid the question. Ben had mentioned Tom before. Of course she had seen the work they had done together. Sometimes they still had contact, but work seemed to get in the way of social contact. Evelyn would never have expected that it was this work that would keep Tom Hiddleston so busy.

“Ben…Benedict Cumberbatch”, she stuttered.

Tom stopped dabbing for a moment, but didn’t look at her. He shook his head lightly, then continued dabbing. His mouth pressed in a thin stripe. “He’s an idiot”, he said finally.

“Excuse me?” Eve started. Despite having her differences with Ben lately, she still loved him ferociously and defending him against nay-sayers had become second nature to her. “What happened to the whole good, respectable people speech?”

“Respectable people can still become stupid people”, Tom said gruffly. “I hadn’t pegged him as the type, but if he has become the typical Privileged celebrity, then he’s an idiot.”

“He is not”, Evelyn huffed. She wanted to give him a real piece of her mind, but was rudely interrupted by voices in the distance. Dynah started barking and Tom swiftly grabbed her snout again.

The voices stopped. Then they came towards the alley.

“I heard it. This way!”

Eve’s heart sank as she recognized the excited voice of the younger officer. She gave Tom a fleeting glance, then stood up to meet the two agents. She could hear Tom hiss some profanities to her.

“Hello officers”, she called. Behind her Tom sucked in a breath. The agents approached her apprehensively. “You asked me for the man with a ski-mask…”

The older agent narrowed his eyes. “Where is your dog?” He demanded.

“Over there”, Evelyn nodded towards Tom, hidden from view behind the container. “She’s doing her…you know…her thing.”

The agent nodded. “The man?”

“I saw a person heading that way”, Evelyn pointed in the opposite direction. “I believe he might have been wearing a ski mask. He was limping. I think he was wounded. You mentioned something about that?”

The younger officer nodded. “Which way did he go?”

“That way”, Eve pointed the other way. “It was about two minutes ago, I believe? I don’t have my mobile on me or I would have called the police.”

“Thank you for your help, Ma’am”, the older officer said. “I’ll make sure Mr. Cumberbatch will hear about this. I’m sure he’s pleased with such an obedient Appointed.”

Eve swallowed. “Thank you…”

As soon as the agents were far enough away she returned to Tom and Dynah. He let out a shaky sigh.

“I thought you were turning me in.”

“I’m not that bad”, she mumbled.

“Does Benedict know that?”

She shot him a warning look and Tom chuckled. “We have a place. I suppose it is a sort of sanctuary. I made it for people like you.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Evelyn supposed it was to serve as a business card. She took it with a frown. “That’s the address. If you ever need help. If you need to get away. That’s where you’ll find me.” Tom said earnestly.

“I won’t need your help.” Eve muttered.

Tom got to his feet, groaning at the burning sensation in his arm. Evelyn stood with him, holding Dynah by her leash. “That’s only because you think he’ll turn around”, Tom retorted. “This is not a fairy tale, Princess.”

“You don’t know what he’s like at all!” Eve exclaimed. Tom gave her a wry smile. “Still defensive over him, huh? You haven’t had a real man yet.”

Eve’s mouth dropped at his cheek. She was about to answer when Tom pulled her close with his good arm. Suddenly, his lips were upon hers.

She was shocked.

And angry.

And excited.

Tom’s hand tangled in her hair and finally grasped her head to pull her closer to him. His tongue snaked and slithered over her lips. She widened her eyes, let out a strangled moan, but when he deepened the kiss Evelyn’s eyes fluttered shut and she gave in. He was dominant, yet gentle. He was confident, yet polite. He was undeniably seductive. Benedict was certainly not a bad kisser, but right now Evelyn’s heart was beating so hard she feared it would burst out of her chest.

Their tongues danced heatedly. Tom hummed approvingly and finally pulled back slowly. His mouth hung onto Eve’s as long as they could. He sucked in Eve’s plump lower lip and let them go with a light pop. As an extra bonus he bit it lightly and let out a guttural “ehehehe” as he watched her shocked face.

“Something to remember me by”, Tom mumbled. “A real man’s kiss.”

Eve blinked a few times, unable to speak.

“What’s your name, love?”

“Evelyn…Eve…” she said softly.

“Make sure he’s good to you, Eve.” Tom said, “Or otherwise…come find me.”

He slipped away into the dark night and Eve tried to comprehend what had just happened. Dazed and confused she headed home. As she glanced at her watch she realized she had been gone for almost two hours. Benedict would surely be very upset with her. That was the last thing she needed right now.

She unlocked the front door, ready to be scolded. The image that greeted her instead was even more upsetting than what she had expected.

Kate was screaming in ecstasy, while Benedict’s face was buried between her legs.


	9. Problems that can't be fixed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn finally makes a difficult decision.   
> WARNING: some disturbing, violent scenes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I need to note that this work does NOT reflect my view of Benedict Cumberbatch or Tom Hiddleston. I'm a huge fan of both actors

“For Chrissake, Evelyn!” Benedict stormed after me. I just paced through the study. I was too upset for words. “She IS my second Appointed. These things happen. It happened with you not too long ago. If Kate would have found us, she would never have responded like this!”

“Kate…Kate…KATE?!” I screamed at him. “I don’t want this. I don’t want you. You can have your precious Kate! Just leave me the fuck alone!”

“Where the hell were you so long anyway? I was worried sick!”

“Oh yes, I could see that, so you went to Kate for comfort!”

“You weren’t available”, Ben snapped. “What do you want from me, Evelyn?”

How could he even ask me that? “What I wanted was for you to LOVE me, Benedict. I wanted to be ALL you needed. Was that so much to fucking ask? I want you to WANT me!”

Ben strode over to me and tried to pull me close. I slapped his hand away. He tried again and this time I slapped his cheek with such violence that it startled me as much as it did him.

I’d never done that before. It was done before I realized what I had done. Benedict looked at me with shock written on his face. Then it hardened. I felt my stomach turn.

His hands gripped my wrists and he pulled me to the bedroom. I struggled and swore at him. He closed the door with a loud bang and threw me on the bed.

I never thought he would go this far. Up to now he had never forced himself on me. I was terrified.

“Ben, please…no” I started pleading. Within seconds he was on top of me, pinning me down with his weight.

“You wanted me to want you? Believe me, Evelyn. That never stopped”, he growled.

“Please, please…Ben. Anything, but not this. Please, don’t. Please, don’t hurt me”, I sobbed.

“And me?” he roared, “You can hurt ME?” With a force ten times stronger than I had used earlier, he struck me across the face. My cheek felt like it was on fire. I was dizzy, reeling with the force of the blow and the realization that it had come this far.

Benedict looked down at me and suddenly his expression changed. His face softened and he sighed. He rolled off me and stared at the ceiling. My hand clutched my cheek as I felt it started to swell.

“Why did it go wrong, Eve?” he asked sadly. “What happened to us? What happened to me…? This is not me. You know that…”

I stayed quiet. This time it had nothing to do with giving him the silent treatment. I was in shock, I was sad, I was in pain. I couldn’t deal. My very soul was numb and the only thing I wanted, right at that moment, was to die. I wanted to sleep forever and not wake up. I wanted to end this terrible nightmare.

Benedict pulled me close. I didn’t respond. I just let him do whatever he wanted. “Please, my darling. I need us to work…” and then he cried.

He cried hot, empty tears.

They meant nothing to me anymore.

He kissed my temple, my face, the cheek that he had struck earlier. He held me close.

It all meant nothing.

“Let’s talk in the morning. Like we planned. Darling, please?”

I didn’t answer.

Benedict sighed and held onto me. I stared into oblivion.

Hours passed. It was late at night. Neither of us bothered to dress for bed, but were lying there fully clothed. Benedict had drifted off to sleep. A glance at the alarm clock told me it was 3 AM. I shifted and untangled Ben’s limbs from my body. He moaned.

I slipped from the bed and tiptoed towards the door. Slowly, I turned the door handle, desperate not to make a sound.

“Where are you going?” Ben croaked sleepily.

My heart stopped. I had to think fast.

“Toilet…” I answered.

“Hurry back…” he murmured and I waited for his breathing to become heavy again before moving out of the bedroom.

Outside of the bedroom I took off my shoes and hurried to the study. Dynah awoke from her sleep and looked at me with a cocked head.

“Please, baby girl. I need you to be so, so quiet right now”, I whispered as I held her leash out in front of her. Dynah sprung up and sat down in front of me. I hooked her leash on her collar. Then I turned to one of the cabinets in the study. Ben kept some emergency cash in one of the drawers. I rummaged through and grabbed what I could.

Ever so softly, Dynah and I tiptoed towards the front door. My heart thumped in my throat. If I failed, I would be done for. I didn’t know what Ben would do, but it would probably either be a repetition of this night or I would be called in to the authorities. This was my final chance of making something of my life and I was going to take it.

I couldn’t believe my luck that I made it outside without anyone noticing. As soon as we were outside, I ripped the silver A off of my coat and dropped it in front of his door. Then we ran for it.

We kept running.

Dynah’s breathing became more labored and so did mine. When I felt we were far enough away from Ben’s apartment I went to look for a payphone.

We probably walked around for another half hour. I was terrified that Benedict would have woken up by now and realized I had gone. When I finally found a phone booth I squealed in delight. I called a taxi immediately, giving him a location another 10 minute walk away from the phone booth, in fear of being found.

When the cabbie finally arrived he eyed me suspiciously. A wild-looking woman with a dog in the middle of the night must have been a strange sight.

“What are you running away from?” He muttered.

“Problems that can’t be fixed”, I answered.

“Ah, lass. Problems have a habit of catching up with you”, the cabbie said.

I dug into the pockets of my coat and found the crumpled piece of paper Tom Hiddleston had given me earlier. I looked at the address and decided to give a location within walking distance, but not exactly near.

“Hopefully they won’t follow me there”, I mumbled and leaned back as the taxi zoomed away from Hampstead Heath. 


	10. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn finds the sanctuary for the Appointed and is reunited with Tom.

Rain was pouring heavily as Evelyn walked over muddy, woodsy paths to the address on the crumpled piece of paper. She could literally not see the forest for the trees. The hem of her skirt was covered in mud. Her feet were painful. She didn’t want to rest though. Inside she was terrified she would be found. Above the tree tops the first rays of sunlight were already showing. Evelyn had no idea what time it was. She had discarded her phone, afraid Benedict would try to track her through it.

Dynah was panting. Her beautiful black and tan fur was now knotted and drenched with rain and mud. She whimpered pitifully and went to lie down in protest.

“No, please…come on, Dynah. It can’t be far now…” Eve exclaimed. She couldn’t really blame her dog, though. She thought it would be easy to get to the address from the location she told the driver, but they must have been walking for hours now. The lack of modern technology made it hard for her to navigate. Eve tugged on the leash. “Just a bit further and then we’ll rest, OK?” Dynah groaned and stood up, obeying her owner with the loyalty only a dog can give.

As the odd pair walked Evelyn’s mind wandered to Benedict. Her darling Benedict. Part of her felt terrible. She imagined him waking up without her next to him. He would call for her as he wandered through the apartment. Then he would realise something was up. He’d grab his phone and started dialling her number. He’d realise she wasn’t answering. He’d call for her in a panic, checking every part of the house once more. He’d call for Dynah and realise her leash was gone. He’d run into the streets, back in again. Try to call her again. Poor Benedict…

And finally, he would call the police…

He would call the police and that was exactly what she was afraid of. The authorities would immediately understand that Eve was a runaway. They would question Benedict about their relationship. They would ask if there had been problems. They would ask Kate and Kate would tell them everything.

A chilling feeling gripped Eve’s heart as she imagined the trial. Ben would explain how Eve had been making problems when he took Kate in, but she wasn’t really entitled to making problems. After all, a Privileged can have as many Appointed as they want. He would tell them how jealous Eve had been. How it made their relationship impossible. How he had lost patience with her. The judge would side with him. After all, it made sense that he lost it. An Appointed wasn’t supposed to behave like Eve did. Then the judge would slam his hammer and sentence her to death.

Evelyn gasped and fell to her knees. Would Ben really let it get that far? She sobbed in the rain, leaning over on all fours. Her dog whimpered, whined and nudged, trying to get her friend back up. She licked at Eve’s face encouragingly. Eve smiled a tired smile and looked up at her furry companion. And then she saw it…

Hidden between the trees was a building. A concrete building. It was gray and flat. A large slab of stone in the middle of the woods. These paths were so remote and so treacherous she understood why no one would come here. Evelyn cried in delight and scrambled towards it, Dynah hurrying next to her.

It was anything but pretty. It looked pretty intimidating. Like a military base.

As she reached the door Evelyn was uncertain of what to do. It didn’t look like there was a door bell or a buzzer of some sort. She looked around and paced a little around the building. There was nothing but grey walls and a large front door. Evelyn frowned. She raised her knuckle and tentatively she knocked on the door. After a slight pause she repeated the action and waited again. No answer.

She sighed defeated and turned on her heels to walk the other way when behind her she heard the door open and shut. When she turned she looked into the face of an intimidating, large, black man. He looked at her up and down and then to her dog and cocked a brow.

“Can I help you?” He asked. Evelyn couldn’t detect whether he was friend or foe from the tone of his voice.

Eve dug for the piece of paper in her pocket and gave it to him. “Is this…it?” She realised that if she was wrong she just brought a world of trouble to Tom Hiddleston by giving this secret location to a mean-looking man that might as well be someone from the military or another governmental organisation.

The man looked at the runny writing. The ink started bleeding from the rain. He looked from the paper to Evelyn and then back to the paper again. He chewed his lip thoughtfully, then he shook his head.

“We’re full.”

Eve felt her heart sink.

“No, no…I was told to come here. I was told to come here if I was in trouble.” She felt the tears threaten to spill over her cheeks again.

“We are full”, the man said again, “the boss hasn’t taken anyone in anymore for 4 months.”

“The boss…”, Eve repeated, “…Tom?”

The man’s eyes flashed momentarily and he looked nervous.

“Tom told me to come here”, Eve said daringly, “He told me last night. I helped him.”

The man looked at the crumpled piece of paper again and without a word he went back inside.

“Wait!” Evelyn shouted, but he had already closed the door behind him. Eve looked at Dynah. The poor creature had laid herself down on the wet grass and tried to sleep. She was exhausted. She must be hungry too. Evelyn felt her stomach growl. Her knees were trembling. She could do with some sleep herself.

The door opened again and the man beckoned for her to come inside.

“Thank goodness”, Evelyn sighed and tugged on the leash to encourage Dynah. The sight of an open door and a shelter from the rain was enough of an incentive for Dynah to follow Evelyn inside.

The man closed the heavy doors behind them and Eve felt an overwhelming feeling of warmth. She was surprised that was even possible in a building like this.

She blinked a few times and looked around.

It was relatively dark inside. There were no windows. Some lights here and there provided a cozy glow. Electric heaters provided warmth. The first thing she saw was the enormous open room. In the back, near another door (Eve guessed it would lead outside, but she didn’t see another door when she circled the building) there were some sofas and in the front, closest to the front door, was a large wooden table with benches alongside it. In the middle, lining the walls on both sides, were about thirty single beds. They were made up simply. Some handmade decorations were hung up here and there. Some of the beds had pictures, posters or drawings hung up above them. Eve glanced to her left and saw a small hallway that led to a few more rooms.

On the sofas, the beds and on the benches were a number of women in their twenties and thirties. Eve noticed how there weren’t any men, apart from the big burly guy who just let her in, and…

Kneeling in front of an old woman, helping her put on some woollen socks, was Tom. He was smiling up at her. The woman said something to him and he turned his attention to the door, where Eve was standing. His good-natured face changed into a troubled expression upon seeing the soaked Evelyn. Eve swallowed hard.

He nodded to the old woman, finished what he was doing and stood up. He was dressed in all black, perfectly groomed. He strode towards Eve and as he passed several of the women they made some remarks and he laughed light-heartedly.

He came to a stop in front of Eve and simply regarded her for a moment, not saying a word.

The man who let her in broke the silence. “This is her. She says you told her to come here?”

Tom simply nodded. “Yes, thank you, James.”

James leaned in and muttered “We don’t have the means to bring her in. There are thirty beds and they are all taken. We are already struggling with food. She brings in a dog as well. How are we supposed to feed the both of them?”

“I’ll take care of it, James. Thank you”, Tom said softly, never taking his eyes of Eve. His penetrating stare made her uncomfortable. He was entirely different from last night. Despite his dangerous situation, he seemed confident and almost cheeky. Now he looked at her gravely. He seemed to want to read her mind.

James shrugged and went into one of the rooms. Eve watched him go and then looked back at Tom, who was still regarding her with his intense eyes.

“Was it because of what happened?” He finally asked her.

“No…he has no idea about you”, Eve said truthfully. She was suddenly reminded of the wicked, but very pleasurable kiss Tom gave her last night. A pang in her heart was a cruel reminder of how she had been jealous of Kate and blamed Benedict for being unfaithful to her, but she did very much enjoy another man’s lips.

Tom watched Eve silently and then nodded. He didn’t seem to want to press the matter on any further.

“I’ll show you around”, he said and first went into the hall.

“On your left you have the office. James stays in there usually. We have cameras set up and can see anyone outside of our doors. James is here 24/7, keeping us all safe. He might seem mean, but he’s a big old softie.” Tom chuckled. He seemed to relax a little more.

“Next to the office is the kitchen. It’s not very large. The girls, James and I take turns cooking for the whole group. We have breakfast together every morning and dinner together every evening. It keeps a sense of community, you know? Everyone has chores listed on the calendar in the kitchen.”

He pointed to the room across the kitchen. “This is where I sleep whenever I am here. I do need to be out there sometimes”, he paused for a moment as he stopped in front of the door to his room. He seemed troubled by something that he could not speak out loud. “I am still a Privileged. I still work in film and theatre. I’m supposed to keep up appearances. I have to be out there as well as here. I will not be here all the time.” He turned to Eve and smiled a half smile. “Just often…”

Eve returned his smile and nodded. They walked on and Tom pointed out the bathroom with only two shower cabins and two toilets. “This needs to be regulated strictly”, he explained, “no more than 3 minutes of shower time per person and everyone will have their turn with cleaning as well. We use this room with 32 people.” He looked at Eve and corrected himself, “With you that will be 33. It is important that this is kept clean.”

He seemed to hurry to the final door at the end of the hall. “This is a little gem that I had to have for you all here.” He opened the door with an excited smile and Eve gasped. It was a tiny room, but there were about 10 cabinets with books, set up as a small library. In the corner there was a comfortable two-seater and a reading light. “We can’t do without some entertainment. That is why I wanted this room here. Honestly, I seem to be the only one using it.” He grinned.

“Oh, I’ll use it”, Eve breathed delighted. Tom smiled approvingly.

They turned around and walked back down the hall towards the common room. “Of course, we also have a TV in the main room. You must also be wondering about the back door?”

“Oh yes”, Evelyn nodded. “I walked around the building, but there was nothing but a gray wall at the back.”

Tom smiled and led her to the back door. He opened it with a swift movement. Eve widened her eyes as a large garden was revealed to her. It looked bleak and flowerless now that it was winter and there was rain everywhere, but she could imagine it looked breathtaking normally. The only depressing part were the high walls around it, blocking prying outside eyes from view. “We grow fruit and vegetables here when we can”, Tom explained. “It’s a great place to walk through and work in. The girls find it relaxing.”

Tom closed the door again and looked at Eve gravely again. “You must understand, Eve. As long as the fight for the Appointed goes on, you cannot leave this place. No one comes in without my permission and no one but James and I can leave. It’s simply not safe for you out there. For none of the girls. If anyone leaves and they are discovered, they will probably use any method necessary to find out where we are.” He grabbed both of Eve’s shoulders firmly. “Do you understand? I’m not trying to hold you prisoner, but this is the sacrifice all of these women had to make. I have to keep them safe.”

Eve nodded. “I understand…this prison will give me more peace than the one I lived in previously. Even if I can’t go outside.”

Tom nodded. “That is the price we pay.”

By now some of the women were paying attention to this new addition to the group. Eve was horribly aware of how she and her poor dog looked. A thought entered her head and she turned to Tom.

“Where are the male Appointed?” she asked. “I know that they are out there. Why aren’t there any here?”

Tom smiled and nodded towards the office. “James was an Appointed. One of the first who asked for my help. Being the Appointed for a politician is one of the most dangerous situations, despite his strength. He worked as a bodyguard before when his Privileged fell in love with him. He wasn’t given a choice and she made his life a living hell. I’m glad he got out of it. You are right though. There are relatively few male Appointed. Women seem to find more comfort in a stable relationship and aren’t heavily focused on…” he paused and lowered his eyes, “well…sex. Most male Appointed seem to be rather happy. Next to that they are fewer in numbers. Female Appointed are the unlucky ones…”

Eve nodded. Her eyes falling on the old woman amidst the women in their twenties and thirties. “What about her” she asked curiously.

Tom smiled fondly. “Mary is my first rescue. She’s 77.”

Eve’s mouth dropped. “What happened to her?” Her voice was almost a whisper.

Tom’s face was suddenly lined with anger and he shook his head. “There is no limit to the cruelty of the Appointed laws”, he said simply. Eve decided it was best to keep her mouth shut.

“Hey Tom, who’s this?” A pretty woman in her thirties asked. Her raven hair was done in a classy updo. She was wearing simple, but stunning make-up. However, her clothes were simple and cheap. It was clear to Eve that the women here were simply surviving.

“This is Eve”, Tom answered, “Eve, this is Melissa. Mel has been with us for some time now as well.”

Mel nodded to Eve, her eyes quickly scanning her. “Charmed, I’m sure.” She then turned to Tom and flashed her prettiest smile. “Remember, I asked to have that conversation about Christmas dinner?”

Tom laughed. “Yes, Mel. We still have a little while to go. Can’t it wait?”

“Not really”, Mel muttered. “I’m in charge and you know me…it has to be perfect.”

Tom nodded. “I’ll get back to you on this, love.” He grabbed Eve’s hand and slipped past Mel as he made his way towards the old woman, Mary. Evelyn looked back at Mel and was shocked to find her staring at Eve with blazing anger in her eyes.

Eve didn’t have much time to think about it. Tom came to a halt in front of Mary. “Mary, this is Eve”, Tom beamed down at the woman sitting on her bed.

“Tom”, the woman exclaimed and slapped him on the arm. “Look at the poor girl. She’s completely soaked and shivering. What kind of a gentleman are you? This is not what I taught you.”

Tom looked puzzled for a moment, then turned to Eve and seemed to realise for the first time what kind of state she was in. “Oh…ooooh…”, he shook his head apologetically. “My God, I’m truly sorry, Eve. I got carried away showing off.”

Eve shrugged a little and bend down to unleash Dynah. “I’m alright. I’m worried about Dynah though…” Before the words were out, several of the women already surrounded the little dog and cooed at her. “We’ll take care of that”, a blonde, excited younger woman exclaimed. “I’m Amy. I love your dog, she is so cute! What’s her name?” Evelyn gave Dynah’s name and the small group of women took her dog for pampering and cuddles. Eve, Mary and Tom laughed.

“You’ll find that we’re a friendly bunch” Tom said.

“Yes, now let me give the proper example” Mary said firmly and took both Evelyn’s hands. “We normally have a three-minute-shower rule, but we’re breaking it this once, Tom. The poor girl needs to warm up properly and feel human again. Will you arrange some dry clothes?”

“Yes, ma’am”, Tom gave a joking salute to the old woman and gave Eve a grin. That was more of the Tom she met last night. She smiled back at him.

“Now, dear”, Mary said as she guided Eve towards the shower, “How did you end up here? We weren’t taking any new girls in. You must be special.”

Eve blushed and shrugged lightly. “I was in a bad situation with my Privileged. I met Tom last night when he was in a bit of a pickle. I helped him out. He said I could come here if I was in trouble.” Evelyn didn’t want to go into too many details about Benedict. It was still too fresh and too painful.

“Ahhh”, Mary exclaimed knowingly, “you are the girl that saved his life.”

Eve widened her eyes. “Oh, I don’t know about that…”

“Oh yes”, Mary nodded firmly. They had reached the bathroom and she was looking for dry towels and shampoo in one of the cupboards inside. “Yes, he told me all about you. Tom tells me everything, you know. We are good friends.”

Evelyn smiled. “I believe you. What did he say about me?”

“Oh, you know. He told me you distracted the officers. How you helped him take care of his wound.”

“That’s hardly saving his life”, Eve chuckled.

“Oh, but dear, he wouldn’t shut up about you. Tom meets a lot of women, but you were the one he kept talking about. I told Melissa, I said to her, this is the girl that will save Tom’s life.”

Evelyn frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Get rid of those sodden clothes, dear”, Mary commanded firmly, “We’re all girls here, don’t be shy.” Evelyn did what she was told and Mary continued her story as she readied the shower. “You do know about Audrey, right?”

Eve stepped in the shower and sighed with relief as the hot water soothed her aching muscles and cleaned her skin. Mary closed the cabin door. “No”, Eve said softly, “Who is Audrey?”

“Audrey was Tom’s great love.” Evelyn detected a sadness in Mary’s voice. “She was beautiful, kind. He loved her dearly. She was a common girl, but Tom was foolish and refused to take her as an Appointed. He hated the new laws. He thought it was against human rights. He really should have taken her as an Appointed.”

“Why”, Eve asked, but deep inside she feared she already knew the answer.

“Audrey was breathtakingly gorgeous. She was unclaimed, so a different Privileged took her as an Appointed. She had no choice. She loved Tom though. Tom couldn’t help her. By law this Privileged was in his right.”

Eve stared at the cabin wall as she leaned against it for support. “Did she try to leave?”

Eve heard Mary let out a shaky sigh. “Yes, dear. Audrey wouldn’t have anyone but Tom. She attempted to leave, but was found out before she could go through with her plan. Her Privileged reported her. She was…-“

“…executed.” Eve finished. “That is why Tom started the Liberation Front.”

Mary didn’t respond, but Evelyn knew she had guessed right. She finished washing her body and hair and Mary was waiting with towels. The old woman helped to wrap Evelyn in them. “Don’t bring up Audrey to him”, Mary advised. “It is too painful for him. However, I haven’t seen him excited about anyone after her. You seem to strike a chord in him. Perhaps you can save his life. Perhaps you can make him live for the sake of his life and not for the sake of revenge.”

Eve remembered their sinful kiss. He was right. She had not been kissed like that before. Not even by Benedict. He was so passionate, so full of intent and seduction. The thought of his lips on her sent a shiver down her spine, but she shook it off. “I’m not really interested, to be honest”, Eve said. “And I doubt he’s truly interested in me.”

Mary smiled. “Who knows, dear.” She led Eve out of the bathroom and to Tom’s private room. Eve widened her eyes.

“Are we supposed to be here?” Eve asked.

“A real gentleman will give up his bed until another arrangement is made. There are only 30 beds in the common room. James sleeps in his office on his sofa-bed. Tom can sleep in the library.”

Eve laughed a little at how the little, old woman took control over the situation. There was a light knock on the door and Tom entered. In his right hand he was holding a plate of food and over his shoulders he had some fresh, dry clothes.

“I’ll leave the two of you alone”, Mary winked and slipped out. Eve felt her mouth go dry. She was certainly not ready for any type of romance right now and certainly not with Tom.

“I’ve brought you some food. Nothing much. Just some toast, eggs and a tomato” Tom said. He put the plate on a small table. “And here are some clothes. I had to guess your size, but Amy thought the two of you were about the same, so she lend me some of hers.”

“That’s very thoughtful. And I’m starving…thank you” Eve said softly. She was suddenly rather aware of the fact she was only wrapped in a towel. Her cheeks stained crimson red.

Tom’s eyes went from her feet, to her hips, her chest and then her face. Evelyn felt incredibly exposed. As if reading her mind, Tom shook his head. “Eve, about last night…”

“Oh Tom, I-“

“I’m not sure why I did that, but it was foolish of me. I’m not interested in-“

“You were a really good kisser, but after Ben I’m not sure if-“

Tom laughed and Eve abruptly stopped talking through him.

“I think we’re on the same page, then.” He noted.

“I think so”, Eve said softly.

“Your dog is sleeping in front of one of the heaters. She’s all clean and had a bit to eat. Some meat from the fridge. I’ll go out and get some dog food later today.”

“Thank you.” Eve was truly grateful. Her eyes were heavy. She could certainly do with a nap herself. Tom seemed to notice this.

“Feel free to sleep in here for now”, Tom offered. “I’ll arrange a new bed in the common room. You must be exhausted.”

“I am, rather.” Eve said, stifling a yawn.

Tom leaned in and gave Evelyn a light peck on the cheek. “Welcome to the family, my dear.”

He turned on his heels and left the room. Evelyn sighed and got into the dry clothes Tom had left for her. She ate her toast and eggs and looked around the room.

It was simple. Just a bed, a small table with a lamp next to the bed, a mirror and in the corner…

Eve frowned.

In the corner was a small desk with a chair. On the desk were several pictures of a beautiful woman. Several pictures of the woman alone and several of her with Tom. There were some dried flowers and there was a small candle holder with a burnt out candle. Tom had made a mini shrine for his beloved Audrey on his desk.

Eve looked at the pictures carefully. She idly stroked a finger over Audrey’s pretty face. “You poor, poor woman…” Evelyn whispered. The dried white flowers looked like they could have been for a funeral. Eve suspected Tom had kept a few and dried them for the shrine. She sighed sadly and shuffled back to the bed.

With an awful feeling of sadness, Eve sank into the bed and fell asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I posted the chapter last night I had initially chosen the name "Gwendolyn" for Tom's deceased lover. Since then it has come to my attention that there's a rumour that Tom has dated Gwendoline Christie in the past. I had absolutely no idea and chose the name Gwen, because I find it an elegant name. 
> 
> I have now changed the name to Audrey. This is purely a work of fiction and would not want any confusion to exist.


	11. Christmas commotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas in the sanctuary takes a negative turn for Evelyn.

Life in the sanctuary had its ups and downs. I made friends with a select few women, including Mary and Amy. Amy was probably the youngest Appointed there. She was barely 21, sweet, bubbly and absolutely smitten with Dynah.

Dynah became some sort of a mascot within the “house”, as we called it. The girls took her into the garden, played with her and even James and Tom dared to take her outside for walks.

That was the most difficult part of it all. We could not go outside.

James ran errands for us. He was pretty sneaky and was able to disguise himself pretty well. He was also rather butch and intimidating. Tom trusted James enough to go out and get groceries and other essentials. Tom was his only male “buddy” within the house. James was able to talk to the girls and participated with community events, but it was clear he felt most at ease with Tom.

Tom…

Tom was one of a kind.

He was a hero to most of us. Our saviour. He was also a perfect gentleman. He joked with us, listened to us, offered a shoulder to cry on, cooked when it was his turn, complimented our cooking whenever it was one of our turns, entertained us, and offered his help with chores. Needless to say that quite a few of the ladies had developed an enormous crush on him.

It was rather odd, really.

Here was a Privileged so incredibly respectful to all these beautiful Appointed and yet he showed absolutely no interest in pursuing something more. He had what Benedict apparently wanted. A house with women he adored. The difference was that Tom didn’t have sex with any of them.

He was a true friend to all of us.

A friend.

Nothing more.

That was probably also part of his appeal. Melissa was the most persistent and passionate of all the girls who crushed on Tom. Whenever Tom wasn’t around she didn’t bother with make up like the most of us. However, whenever he was there she made sure she paid special attention to her appearance. Her clothing would reveal just a bit more and she made herself up carefully with the limited amount of make-up we had in the house. She would flirt with him openly and made sure she claimed as much of his attention as possible.

And she hated my guts.

Tom and I had a special kind of friendship. I wasn’t too sure if it was because of the first time we met. Perhaps it was because I had helped him back then. Or maybe he took pity on me. Or it was because we shared similar interests.

I loved reading and so did he. We both loved Shakespeare and spent a good amount of hours in the library together. We didn’t know each other for very long, but it felt comfortable around him.

Sometimes we would sit in the library and just talk. We talked about where we grew up, what films we loved to watch. He would tell me about grueling rehearsals, funny meetings with fans, parties he didn’t really want to attend and films he was auditioning for and really hoped he would get. It was clear he was still in it for the art form and the celebrity status was something he enjoyed, but did not seek out. I painfully remembered how Benedict was once like that.

I still cried for him.

Tom felt uncomfortable when that happened. He wanted to understand, but he had a hard time imagining I could still love a man who treated me the way he did. He listened to my explanations of how Benedict wasn’t always like that. Tom would recount the times he had worked with Ben and how they used to be friends, before work got in the way and their contact just kind of died down. He told me earnestly that he was shocked to meet me that night and learn that Benedict had taken not one, but two Appointed.

We talked a lot about his work as an actor, my life before and during Ben and life in the house. Not once did he bring up Audrey and I was too frightened to bring her up myself. He must have known I knew about her already. Bring 31 women together and there is bound to be gossip. I had also slept in his room and had seen his shrine for her. Yet he never talked about it.

Christmas was an exciting time in the house. Melissa had taken it upon herself to cook our Christmas dinner. The house would pull a name from a jar and we would have a limit of 3 pounds to buy a gift for the person whose name we’d drawn.

Tom provided the gifts. He bought our food, the essentials, and the gifts, all of it. He had to be careful about it, though. He needed to justify where the money went to and it was hard to keep all of this a secret. This is why we lived a fairly poor life, but we were comfortable enough and very grateful for everything Tom did for us.

I had drawn Tamara, a quiet woman in her thirties. I didn’t know her very well, but she was nice enough. She told me once she enjoyed the garden, so I asked James to get her some flower seeds as my present for Christmas.

The gift giving was a festive, but simple occasion. The most aggravating part was that Melissa had drawn Tom and refused to give her gift to him publicly. We saw her pulling him to a dark corner that evening and they talked in hushed voices. She wouldn’t tell anyone what she gave him and just smirked smugly whenever anyone asked. I simply chose to ignore her, but she had other plans for me.

“Were you very disappointed you didn’t get Tom’s name?” she asked with a grin on her face.

“Not really”, I answered truthfully. “I don’t need to buy him a gift with his own money to show my appreciation.”

My answer wiped the smirk off Melissa’s face and I couldn’t help but feel a little proud of myself.

“I’m tired of your little holier-than-thou act”, she hissed. “You just waltzed in here, took advantage of his generosity while you knew full-well that there wasn’t really any room for you and try to seduce him with your goody-two-shoes act. I know your type, Evelyn. Tom might not see it just yet, but trust me, I will expose you for the manipulative bitch you are one day.”

I didn’t flinch. These sort of empty threats became normal to me. I knew I had done nothing to earn her jealousy, so I felt it was best to simply not respond. Tonight, though, she added an extra insult to her usual attack.

“Benedict was right to replace you.”

Within a second Melissa was writhing in agony on the floor. Her nose was bleeding and she cried in pain. Some girls hurried to tend to her.

I had no idea I had that kind of strength in me.

Tom swung me around, gripping both my shoulders. His eyes were wide in shock and anger was blazing within them. “Are you fucking insane, Eve? We can’t get her to a doctor!”

I struggled from his grip and shook my head violently. “She fucking deserved it!” I screamed, still shaking with anger and from the realization I had done something incredibly stupid.

“You’d better hope her nose isn’t broken. I’ll make you sorry”, Tom growled and he roughly pushed me aside to tend to Mel.

I watched the scene unfold with a mixture of anger, fear, injustice and jealousy.

Jealousy.

As I watched Tom gently help Mel to her feet and take care of her nose, I noticed I didn’t like it at all.

She didn’t deserve him.

He deserved someone better.

Someone who understood him. Someone who shared similar interests. Someone he could talk to.

Someone like me.

I shook my head at my own thoughts. It was stupid. I didn’t want this. I was simply content with being friends.

Right?

A nagging voice within me told me that Mel had already detected my interest in Tom ages ago and she interpreted our long talks as an attempt to seduce him.

But that wasn’t true.

Was it?

Amidst all the commotion and hysteria Mary put a soft hand on my shoulder and she squeezed it gently. “It’s probably best if you just disappear for a moment, dear. Why don’t you go sit in the library until this is over and we come and get you?”

I turned to her desperately, tears forming in my eyes. “Mary, she provoked me…she really did…”

Mary sighed and nodded. “I understand, dear.” She paused and thought for a moment and then spoke the horrible truth. “However, you were irresponsible. You should have been the better woman here and ignore what she said. We can’t tolerate violence. We need to avoid illness and injuries as much as we can. We can’t go a hospital, we can’t see a doctor. We can’t leave, Eve. You should have known better.”

I felt terrible.

I looked at Tom and saw nothing but disappointment in his eyes.

Tears were running down my face freely as I made my way to the library. 


	12. The girl who saved a life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Eve find out they connect more than they dare to admit

The door to the library opened with a screech.

Evelyn was curled up on the sofa, her head rested in her arms. She had been crying for what seemed like an eternity, but now her tears had dried up.

Tom peeked his head around the corner.

She hadn’t expected him. Evelyn thought that Mary would come and get her and she would have to face Mel and apologize begrudgingly like a scolded child.

“Eve?” Tom asked softly.

“Did I break her nose?” Evelyn asked without looking up.

Tom sighed and entered the library, closing the door behind him. “No. You bruised it pretty badly and you must have popped a blood vessel or something. Other than that she’s OK. You mainly broke her pride.” He sat down on the sofa beside her. “Eve, will you look at me?”

Eve lifted her head from her arms. Her eyes were puffy and her nose red and swollen. She faced him, but didn’t dare look at him. Tom didn’t look angry anymore, but he wasn’t smiling at her.

He shook his head slightly. Tentatively, he extended his hand and softly cupped her face, wiping a lost tear away with his thumb.

“What were you thinking?” He whispered.

“I wasn’t thinking much. She pushed all the wrong button. She made a remark and I reacted.” Eve murmured.

“What did she say?”

Eve pressed her lips together. She couldn’t tell him. She didn’t want to tell him. Tom nodded, understanding he wouldn’t be able to get it out of her tonight.

“You know we have to talk about this with the whole group, right? You will have to make amends with Mel. The two of you can’t go on like this. Oh Eve, I had expected so much more from you…”

“Stop”, Eve whispered. It was too much. She couldn’t take this from him. She was already disappointed with herself. She was disappointed with her own actions. She was disturbed with her newly discovered feelings.

They were there.

Full force.

Tom’s hand on her cheek was sending shivers down her spine. For the first time she realized she wanted nothing more than to kiss his fingers. Beg him to kiss her, the way he did the night they met. On the other hand she wanted nothing more than to hide away and make all of these feelings disappear. There was no room for this. Her heart still ached for Benedict. Or did it?

“I have something for you”, Tom removed his hand from her cheek and Eve couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “I wanted to give this to you earlier, but then the whole mess happened. I know I didn’t draw your name for the Christmas thing, but I wanted you to have this all the same…”

He reached over to one of the cabinets and pulled a small package out. Eve wondered why she didn’t notice it before. The wrapping paper was colourful with small Christmas trees and candy canes on them. She smiled softly as Tom handed the package to her. Then she looked up to him with sudden horror.

“But I didn’t get you anything”, she exclaimed.

Tom laughed. “Don’t be stupid. If it helps, it didn’t cost me a penny. It’s…errh…well, it was part of my personal collection.”

Evelyn unwrapped the present and pulled out a dusty book. Tom smiled at her as she read the title.

“It’s the very first _Complete Works of William Shakespeare_ I bought. I was 12 years old. It’s pretty tattered, but it’s quite special to me. I wanted you to have it. You know…as a token of my appreciation.”

Eve opened the book and saw a hand-written dedication on the first page.

_To Eve, the girl who saved my life_

_Love sought is good, but giv’n unsought is better._

_Tom_

“Tom, this is beautiful”, she gasped. Her fingers trailed over the dedication. “Twelfth Night”, she mumbled and Tom nodded.

“I thought it was appropriate. What you’ve been through with Benedict”, he smiled a little. “You shouldn’t have to ask anyone to love you, Eve. You should be loved unconditionally for being the wonderful person you are.”

Evelyn blushed a crimson red and Tom’s smile widened upon seeing her shyness. He was happy he could make her feel a little bit better at least.

“I haven’t really saved your life”, Eve said, still looking at the dedication. “I just sent the two officers in the opposite direction.”

“Imagine what could have happened if you didn’t”, Tom said. “Apart from that, you have given me much more joy in life, Eve. Running the Liberation Front and the house in secret and still pretending to be a Privileged. It’s all pretty taxing. I felt no hope, found no joy in it. I was fighting to fight. You, Eve…you reminded me of why I’m doing all of this.”

Eve looked up to meet his eyes and Tom took the opportunity to return his hand to Eve’s cheek, tracing small circles with his thumb.

Eve’s heart was pounding in her throat. Weeks had passed and she had been convinced Tom was not interested. They were just friends.

Weren’t they?

Tom stared at her intensely. She could read the same conflict and doubt on his face. She sat there motionless, drowning in his eyes. Every stroke of his thumb pulled another loud beat from her heart. She felt her chest heave.

Tom leaned in slowly.

Eve started to feel dizzy. With every inch Tom came closer she thought she was going to pass out from fear and anticipation.

Tom’s eyes lowered momentarily to her lips, he bit his own. Then he looked up into her eyes again, still moving closer to her.

She felt his warmth on her face. Her own eyes fluttered shut as she could feel his moist, hot breath caress her skin.

Tom never took his eyes off her. Staring at her from lidded eyes as he moved close.

Their noses touched. Their lips grazed each other.

Eve parted her lips, Tom parted his. She never wanted him more, desperate for their mouths to meet and their tongues to touch.

“I can’t…” he whispered and retreated.

Eve felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

“W-what?” she asked.

Tom avoided her eyes, biting his knuckles. He shook his head, then bounced his knee nervously. “I can’t do it, Eve. I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have. That was unfair.”

“Because of Audrey?” Eve asked suddenly.

Tom snapped his head towards her. “What?” he growled. Eve knew immediately she blew it.

“Tom, I understand. You loved her. You started all of this because of her. You’re afraid that you would betray her memory. That’s not true though.”

Tom shook his head. “You say that you understand, but you really don’t…”

“No, I do”, Eve protested. “I understand, really. I felt the same with Benedict.”

_Stop talking, Eve._

“I still felt like I needed to be loyal to him.”

_Shut up, Eve._

“You don’t have to feel like you’re betraying her. That won’t bring her back, Tom. It won’t raise her from her grave.”

_Now you’ve done it._

Tom stood up without a word and stormed out of the library, slamming the door with a loud bang. 


	13. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn feels alienated from the group and from Tom. Driven by her emotions she makes her worst choice yet...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is really not my best work...  
> I am suffering from some writer's block due to work and a few trips to London...  
> This needs some heavy editing, but after receiving your requests to update, I decided to give you what I have so far...

The obligated talk and public apology to Mel was absolutely terrible. I had never felt so humiliated. The fact that I had endangered someone in the group certainly didn’t help my social position. Everyone was pretty angry with me. Even those that generally disliked Mel still felt that I was an idiot for “losing it”.

It was difficult. The girls I had befriended were now ignoring me. Only Mary still seemed to like me, but she pointed out how I brought myself into this mess.

The worst of it all was the fact that Tom wasn’t talking to me. He wasn’t really ignoring me, but he only spoke to me when he absolutely needed to. Every attempt to engage in some small talk was deflected. Every single time his face hardened and I would feel a sharp stab in my heart. It hurt to be hated.

This must have been how Benedict felt around me…

Dynah was still my best and only friend. In the evenings, when the girls gathered for gossip and games, I usually sat alone, playing with her. Or I would sit in the library, reading from Tom’s gift. It was my private time to let go of everything I was feeling. I’d cry silent tears, but I would make sure no one would notice whenever I had to face them.

I didn’t want to show any weakness. I didn’t want them to know that their rejection was hurting me this badly.

And I missed Ben…

I missed his gentle smile. The one that would make the corners of his eyes crinkle. I missed his baritone voice, which would lull me to sleep after I had a bad day. I missed his long, elegant fingers caressing my skin, massaging my shoulders or lovingly entwining with mine. I missed his lips, soft and sweet, kissing all my troubles away.

At night, when everyone was asleep, I pretended his arms were wrapped around me. I imagined him asking for forgiveness and whispering everything would be OK from now on. It helped me sleep.

But the mornings were cold, empty and lonely.

Despite my best efforts to hold my head up high, Mary was very aware of how I was feeling. Six weeks had passed and Tom was still avoiding me. It seemed he became more absorbed in his work as an actor and his work for the Liberation Front. His days and evenings with us seemed to become rarer, but perhaps this feeling was simply enhanced by the fact he would not talk to me.

I was sitting in a corner of the room, a magazine on my lap, but I wasn’t really reading. Mary came to sit by my side.

“You can’t go on like this, my dear…” she sighed.

I shrugged. “It’s not like I have much of a choice”, I answered.

“You always have a choice, Eve. You chose to accept their anger and you are the one that seems content in being a social pariah. And Tom…well, you chose not to talk things out with him.”

“Mary, he really doesn’t want to talk…” I tried.

“How would you know?” she said simply as she stood up, straightened her skirt and joined the others in a card game.

Perhaps she was right. I was simply afraid to bring that night up. I hadn’t told Mary about what happened between us or what I said to him. Apart from asking me to hand him something or giving general information he wouldn’t talk to me. If I started a conversation he would change find an excuse to cut it short and leave.

But I had never asked him straight out to sit and talk.

Part of me was afraid of what I was feeling as well. Tom was more special to me than I wanted to admit. Next to that, I still longer for Benedict. Everything was so much more confusing than I needed it to be.

What I really wanted was to run away again…

A few nights ago James came back from one of his errands with a television. It was a simple set and it took some effort trying to hook it up and get some channels. He succeeded finally, so some of the girls were watching TV.

And then I heard it…

_“I am incredibly grateful for simply being a part of this. Everyone’s been absolutely delightful to work with and that is enough of an award for me…”_

The deep tones of his voice roused me from my musings and as if being pulled by some magical force I was drawn to the television.

Benedict was dressed sharply, being interviewed at some award show of some sort. The girls were chattering excitedly about the celebrities on the red carpet, as if they had never lived a life as an Appointed for these people before.

Next to Benedict, in a stunning silver, shimmery dress, was Kate. She proudly held onto his arm. I felt that all familiar pang of jealousy once more. The fact that she accompanied him at an official event meant Ben had made her a First Appointed. It was official. He had never went out in public with me, but he had made the jump to introduce her to the world. He must have cared for her deeply.

I don’t know why I did what I did. It was like I was not being myself and someone else had taken over my body. My feet carried me to the front door to slip past James, who was in a heavy discussion with one of the others. Before I knew it I was walking down the path that led away from the Sanctuary.

As soon as I had found a road I hitchhiked back to civilization. Without a second thought I had given the driver Ben’s address in Hampstead Heath.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was early February and the night air was still crisp and cold. Benedict stepped out of his car, wrapping his coat around him more tightly. He walked around the car to let his Appointed out.

“Thanks, babe”, Kate sang as she stepped out and she leaned in to give him a light peck on his cheek.

Ben nodded and smiled. “Darling, I heard an odd sound from the engine. I just want to quickly check that out. Perhaps you could go in and fix us a nightcap?”

Kate’s smile widened. “Of course. Don’t be too long.”

Benedict sighed when Kate was inside. He cared for her, but her constant presence got on his nerves at times. The fact that she had trained as an Appointed made every gesture less genuine. He wasn’t too sure about their future, but he didn’t have the guts to bring this up to her. After all, she had nothing left if he would send her away, apart from some money.

With a sigh he opened the boot and pulled out a small toolbox. He selected a small screw driver and went to open the hood of his car.

A rustle in the bushes nearby caught him off guard.

“Who’s there?” Ben called out. The area he lived in was relatively safe, but if someone was trying not to be seen it could be a robber…or someone from the Liberation Front. The assault on Privileged was becoming increasingly serious. Several of his colleagues who had an Appointed had been threatened by masked men. Now that Benedict came out in public with his Appointed he was more aware of being one of the next. Perhaps next time the A.L.F. would not keep it at threats.

Benedict clenched his fist around the screw driver and called out towards the bushes again with gritted teeth. “Who is there? Show yourself!”

Evelyn’s heart was pumping when she stepped out of the bushes.

Ben’s eyes widened. The screw driver fell on the ground with a loud clang.

“B-Ben…” Eve stuttered.

“God”, Ben breathed, “Eve…oh God…” Involuntarily he covered his mouth with his hand, attempting to grasp the situation.

She looked terrible. Her clothes were old, wrinkled and shapeless. She looked worn out and hungry. Ben’s first instinct was to open his arms and hold her. Yet all he could do was simply stand there and stare at her dumbfounded.

“Eve, you left…” He started and Eve nodded, then she shook her head violently. She choked, allowing big tears to fall over her cheeks.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you”, she whimpered, “I just needed to…get away from everything. I needed to-…”

Benedict nodded. “You needed to get away from me…” he said softly. “I woke up in the morning. You weren’t there. Dynah was gone…I knew it. I just knew it…You left me…”

“Forgive me…”

“I don’t know if I can, love…” Ben said truthfully. “I understand you were unhappy. But…” He shook his head. “It got out of hand that night…but I didn’t-…I never-…” He swallowed hard, taking a few steps towards her. “Eve, I didn’t force myself on you. I stopped…I stopped, because I loved you. I wanted to make it work and you left…you just left… Christ, Eve…all you needed to do was tell me you wanted out. You know I would have let you go…“

“I know…” Eve took a step to him. He was so close now. She wanted nothing more than his arms around her. For him to tell her she was safe. “I’m sorry, Ben…”

In the distance the sound of sirens approaching interrupted their reunion. Benedict snapped his head towards the sound, then back at Eve.

“You’ve got to leave…now!”

Eve furrowed her brows, not understanding him. “Why? What is it?”

“Evelyn, it’s the authorities. As the Liberation Front became more aggressive, so did the authorities. They are picking up runaway Appointed left and right…”

“I doubt they’re coming for me”, Eve protested. “No one knows I’m here. And nobody knew I left…right?”

Ben chewed his lip. Eve couldn’t believe it. “Y-you reported me?”

Ben shook his head. “No…I didn’t…, but…”

“I did”, a cold voice called out. Kate was standing in the doorway with her mobile in hand. “And I called them just now.”

Benedict looked at Kate furiously. She seemed unfazed by his anger. She had the upper hand now, being his First Appointed. After all, she was simply doing what was right for him. He would understand in the long run.

The sound of the sirens became louder. Eve could hear engines. Within seconds they could turn up in the street.

“Eve, please”, Ben begged, “just run…”

It was too late. Two cars rounded the corner and sped into the street, lights blazing and alarms sounding. Eve couldn’t breathe. It was over. No turning back now. They would take her and it would be over. She couldn’t run anywhere without them catching up.

Out of nowhere a car came to a screeching halt right next to her. Kate and Ben stepped back in shock.

Tom roughly opened the passenger door. Half of his face was covered with a scarf, but Eve recognized his voice and frame.

“Get in”, he growled. “Hurry.”

Eve looked back at Ben, but Tom wouldn’t have it. “Now, Evelyn! Get in or rot! Your choice.”

She didn’t have much of a choice. Without further more preamble she got in the car and Tom floored the gas pedal.They raced out of Hampstead Heath, closely followed by the authorities. 


	14. The chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom and Eve attempt to flee from the authorities in an eventful car chase.

Tom gritted his teeth as he maneuvered through the streets at a breathtaking speed. The palms of my hands were sweating as I wrung them together. My eyes flitted from the mirror to the window. Tom stared straight ahead, attempting to foresee every curve and bump in the road. By now he managed to get some distance between us and the cars chasing us. Their sirens were still deafening to our ears.

“Watch out!” I screamed. Tom cursed as he suddenly hit a speed bump. The car shot off the ground and crashed back with a loud smash. Shaken, but undeterred Tom drove on. Behind us the cars were forced to slow down to avoid making the same mistake.

The driver of the car in the front caught up quickly, leaving the second car behind him. Tom checked the rear mirror, then the side mirror. He chewed his lip and momentarily his eyes darted towards me. I gave him an incomprehensive look. Tom pressed his lips into a thin line and without a warning he slammed the brakes.

The seatbelt caught us as we flew forward. I gasped for air as I felt the breath being punched out of my lungs. Tom wasn’t looking at me, but kept his eyes on the rear mirror. He sucked in a breath as he waited for impact and sure enough the officer who was on our tail slammed into the back of our car.

For a second time the belts caught most of the blow. Tom recovered quicker than I did and immediately floored the gas pedal again, while the officer’s car was still shoving us forward. I didn’t understand what his plan was, but judging from the stream of choice words I quickly realized it wasn’t working. The officer’s car was stuck to the back of ours, seemingly controlling our direction as he too kept driving.

I held my breath as Tom jerked the steering wheel left and right, trying to shake our enemy off. The officer was relentless, holding on as well as he could. Through the mirror I could see his face, full of hatred. He too jerked his steering wheel, trying to manipulate us in the direction he desired. I screamed when I realized he was sending us towards a tall, wide tree ahead of us.

“He’ll kill us!” I cried.

“No, he won’t”, Tom said gruffly.

With a final, heavy pull on the wheel Tom freed our car and barely avoided the tree. Behind us we heard a loud crash. As I looked back I was horrified to see the police car mangled and smoking against the tree he had chosen for us.

“Tom…” I whispered, shocked at what he had done.

“Shut up…” Tom said, his face void of all emotion.

In the distance we still heard the faint sound of a siren. The second car was still following us and we could only guess at how determined he would be to catch us when he’d see what happened to his colleague.

The adrenaline and excitement had distracted me so much that I didn’t even notice we had driven into a forest. We were outside of London by now. Tom suddenly slowed down and drove off the roads and deeper into the woods. As soon as we were hidden from view he turned off the engine and the lights. I looked at him questioningly. He didn’t acknowledge my gaze.

We saw the second car zoom by on the road, sirens and lights still blazing. Finally, Tom allowed to let out a shaky breath and he slumped back in the driver’s seat.

Then there was silence.

“Shouldn’t we…?” I started.

“He might come back”, Tom said simply.

“Tom, I-“

“I don’t want to hear it, Eve.”

Was I mistaken or did his voice crack just now? I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood. I had made yet another mistake and he was sure to hate me now. I’m not sure how long we sat there in silence, but Tom finally decided to break it.

“Do you realize what you have done?” He asked, his voice weary, but overall cold.

“I attracted the authorities…”, I whimpered.

“Not just to yourself, Evelyn. To all of us. You are so…incredibly…self-absorbed.”

He massaged his temples, while hissing those last three words, each hitting home as if he smacked me in the face repeatedly.

“You are so concerned with your own feelings, your own emotions. You act impulsively and forget that there are 32 more people you need to think about. I took an enormous risk taking you in, Evelyn Knight…and Christ, I certainly regret ever meeting you.”

“I’m sorry”, I whispered. It was all I could offer to him right now. He was absolutely right, of course. I had been selfish. I had been only concerned with how people were treating me and how I had felt. When I punched Mel I had not only punished her, but everyone by frightening them. We could not afford involving any outside parties, such as doctors, in fear of being reported. And now I had broken the number one rule of the Sanctuary: never leave the building.

“Was it worth it?” Tom asked bitterly.

“What do you mean?”

“Benedict. Did you win your precious Privileged back? Are you content, Evelyn? Whoring yourself to him?”

“It’s not like that”, I protested.

“STOP…” I jumped as Tom slammed his fist against the dashboard, “lying to me…”

Tears welled in my eyes and I shook my head. “I’m not lying…I missed him. I’m not sure what I expected. All I wanted was to see him, even if it was just for a moment. He wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t always bad. And he showed he cared, Tom. He wanted me to run. He wanted me to survive…”

“Yeah, he’s a hero”, Tom growled as he started the engine. The police car hadn’t been back.

We drove to the Sanctuary in silence. Tom didn’t look at me, I couldn’t stop looking at him. I had never seen him this angry before. If I thought he disliked me before, he must wish me dead now.

When Tom opened the heavy doors of the Sanctuary and I followed him in I was met with 31 pairs of angry eyes. I’d never felt so ashamed before. None of the girls had gone to sleep. James was sitting in a chair, eyes dark and lips pressed into a thin line.

The only one oblivious to it all was Dynah, who sprang up, wagging her tail and simply happy to see her favourite people returning to her.

“Thank you, everyone, for warning me of Eve’s absence…” Tom said as he walked ahead of me. He stood amidst all of us, his head held high as he assumed his position as leader.

“Mary, you were right about her whereabouts. I found her at her Privileged’s house.”

A gasp echoed through the room and I closed my eyes, taking the humiliation I deserved.

“Evelyn…” Tom said and my eyes shot open to find him staring at me. “I’ve never had to do this, but you give me no other choice. You’re under room arrest.”

The excited sounds and whispers throughout the room informed me of the fact everyone else seemed to know what this meant. I didn’t at all. Tom grabbed his keys from his pocket and motioned for me to follow him. He led me down the hall to his bedroom.

“You’re to stay here, eat here, sleep here. There will be no interaction, no books to read, no television to watch. No news, no garden…” he paused, “no Dynah…”. A shiver ran down my spine. Tom’s room was comfortable enough, but even staying in the common room with all the others, despite having the perks of a garden and entertainment, was already maddening. Now I’d be cooped up in a windowless room for…for…I didn’t know how long.

I walked into the room and turned to ask Tom. He shrugged. “For as long as necessary”, he answered vaguely. Then he shut the door and turned the key. I was trapped.

 


	15. We'll Uncomplicate It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evelyn finds an unlikely friend

“Sir”, James said, rousing Tom from his thoughts. Dynah lifted her head and cocked her head to the side. She was enjoying Tom’s petting and had just fallen asleep on his lap. James had ruined it all.

“James, how often do I have to tell you to call me ‘Tom’?”

“It’s the girl, Sir…she’s not eating”, James said, ignoring Tom’s question, “All her plates return as full as she receives them. It’s been 4 days now and I’m starting to get worried.”

Tom sighed and lifted Dynah off his lap to put her back on the floor. The dog gave a disturbed little whine. “Sorry, Dynah”, Tom muttered, “Your mistress is making it difficult on me again…”

Eve heard the door unlock, but she didn’t move a muscle. She sat at Audrey’s pictures, staring at them after she had lit the candles.

Tom shut the door behind him and looked at the untouched plate on the small table in the room. “Evelyn, you need to eat…”

“I’m not hungry”, Eve murmured, still not moving.

“See, that’s another lie”, Tom said angrily. “You need to eat as much as we all do. We don’t have that much already. You wasting the little food we have is yet another fucking insult.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Eve yelled. Tom’s mouth dropped, taken aback by her sudden fire. “Is there anything else you need to criticize, Tom? How about the clothes I’m wearing? My hair? Or would you like to take another stab at making me feel bad about my emotions? You know…feeling rejected is bad, feeling for Ben is wrong, feeling for you is out of line-“

“Don’t start that shit…” Tom spat, “You made it abundantly clear how loyal you are with your…” he paused, making quotation marks in the air, “feelings”.

“I was honest!” Eve screamed, “You were the one who didn’t want to talk about it. You avoided me, Tom. You did! Not me!”

“Oh, you want to talk?” Tom threw his hands up in the air in mock surrender. “Fine, let’s talk.”

Eve shook her head. “I care about you, Tom. You know this…”

Tom scoffed. “Yes, one week you’re pining over Benedict, the next you’re all over me.”

Now it was Evelyn’s turn to scoff. “I was all over YOU? You fucking started it…”

“And so you lost it and ran back to Benedict. Really, Eve? Of all people you run back to the person who mistreated you the most. Are you that fucking desperate that you can’t let go?”

“Is that what this is all really about? I ran back to Benedict? Who was I supposed to run to? You? You weren’t really available, were you, Tom? And fuck you for accusing me of not letting go!” Eve gestured wildly at Audrey’s pictures. Tom swallowed. “How long has it been, Tom? How long have you not let go?”

Tom lowered his volume, speaking through gritted teeth. “That’s none of your business.”

“You’ve made it my business. Why do you keep this from everyone? Why do you hold on so much? You accuse me of not moving on, but you wouldn’t dream of taking your own advice. Why, Tom?”

“Because it HURTS too much…”

Tom’s voice was so full of pain that it shut Eve up immediately. He turned away from her, the muscles in his shoulders and back clenching. Eve took a few careful steps towards him. She extended her hand, hesitated and retreated, as if afraid he would simply fly away if she was too forceful. Slowly, each movement full of uncertainty, she circled her arms around him and laid her cheek against his back. Tom tensed even more, his eyes fixed on the door ahead of him. 

“Let me in, please”, Eve whispered.

They stood there motionless for a while. Finally, Tom let a sigh escape from his lips. He closed his eyes tight and shook his head. “Eat your food, Evelyn. Eat it and your arrest is over tonight…” He freed himself from her grasp with a jerk and left her heartbroken.

His personal visit did the trick, though. Later that evening James collected an empty plate, so Tom opened the door for her.

Eve didn’t expect a very warm welcome back and she didn’t get one. The girls ignored her and even Mary couldn’t face her. James only spoke to her when she needed to do a chore. None of it mattered as much to Evelyn as Tom’s silence. And this time he kept it up for months.

Spring arrived and the girls retreated to the garden as much as they could. Tamara, the woman who loved the garden the most, made sure she planted new flowers and tended to the vegetable patch. Evelyn approached her tentatively. She had tried on several occasions to make amends with the girls, but had failed every single time. Mary wouldn’t gossip with her and Amy refused to play cards. It had gotten so far as eating several spaces away from everyone else. Her plate was set away from everyone else. Tom did show some concern when he realized this was happening. Her eyes had met hers momentarily and Eve thought she detected a glimmer of sympathy within them. He didn’t say anything though. He simply continued his conversation with the others and ignored her presence. Every time he did this, Eve’s heart sank.

Tamara was happily planting new seeds and Eve knelt by her side. “May I help?” She asked timidly. Tamara, shocked that the social pariah of the house spoke to her, paused. Her panicked eyes darted around the garden, as if looking for either help or approval. Finally, she sighed as she finished burying a seed, wiped her hands on a rag, stood up, dusted her knees and simply said “I’m done”, before heading inside. Eve swallowed her tears away. She was resolved not to show any weakness to them. Not to anyone. Not anymore.

A figure knelt beside her and handed over several baby crops of lettuce in a basket. “Here, help me plant these.” Tom murmured. Eve studied his face for a while, but he remained neutral. He hadn’t spoken to her in a while and now he seemed to pretend like nothing had happened.

Eve started scooping sand up. The cold dirt was soothing on her hands. She liked to keep her mind occupied, but with Tom sitting so close to her this was difficult. They worked quietly, until Eve couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Are you still angry with me?” she asked softly.

Tom breathed in sharply, as if tasting her question and contemplating it carefully before he would allow his lips to give the answer.

“Yes…” he said calmly. “I just can’t believe-“

Tom remained silent and Eve looked at him. “What? Tell me…”

“Why you would choose him over me…I can’t forgive that.”

Eve was stunned. Tom finished his work and left her alone once more. When Eve went inside and asked James for him he informed her that he had left in a hurry for A.L.F.-related work. Whenever Tom left to do something so dangerous the whole house was on edge. Everyone was terrified he might be discovered and not return to the Sanctuary.

Eve sank on her bed, confused and conflicted. She had no idea what she could do, what to tell him, how to convince him.

“Eve…?” A gentle voice called her name. When Eve looked up she was surprised to see Melissa, standing in front of her, not menacing, not defiant, but a little insecure. “I was wondering if you…would like to help me cook?”

Eve’s mouth dropped. Mel would never let anyone help her cook. She was such a control freak, which was one of the many reasons they didn’t get along. However, Eve had been desperate for some human contact that she agreed.

Evelyn peeled potatoes, while Melissa chopped onions and carrots for the stew she was planning.

“You know”, Mel began, “Your house arrest was my fault.”

Eve furrowed her brow and shook her head. “Umm…no”, she mumbled, “I ran away from the Sanctuary. You had little to do with that.”

Mel sighed. “If I hadn’t aggravated you so much that night, you wouldn’t have punched me. Then Tom would not have gotten angry with you. No one would have been angry with you. But you felt alone and you turned to the only person you could think of…” Mel stopped chopping and looked at Eve. “I get it, Eve…I do. I get lonely. I long back for him sometimes. I know I’m not really liked here and it hurts…”

Eve was gobsmacked. Never in a million years had she expected that Mel had even a grain of selfreflection within her body, but she had been wrong.

“Mel”, Eve started. “Tom wasn’t angry with me, because of the punch…”

Mel stared at her, not understanding. “But the next day he told you to apologize. We had that big group talk and everyone shunned you. Tom ignored you…”

Eve sighed, her fingers trembling. She was terrified that Mel would go 180 on her if she told her the truth, but against better judgment she told her about that night. How Tom had given her a gift. How he had complimented her. How there had been tension between them for weeks, but how Eve had misread it. How they had almost kissed, but he rejected her at the last minute. How she messed up and brought up his dead girlfriend in a rather unfortunate manner.

Mel listened breathlessly. The potatoes, carrots and onions laid forgotten. When Eve finished her story she looked at Mel expectantly. Any moment now she would be blamed for manipulating Tom and breaking his heart.

“Wow”, Mel exclaimed. “Shit, no wonder you took off…”

Eve felt like she had embarked on the weirdest rollercoaster of her life. She simply didn’t know how to respond to all of this. Mel, sensing that she was weirding Evelyn out, took a step towards her.

“I felt awful, Eve. Everyone ignored you. It’s hard living here. It’s harder living out there, but it’s certainly no picnic inside these walls. We are social creatures and we are dependent on positive contact. You had enough and you ran. You needed someone to care for you. I thought-“ she paused and swallowed. “Honestly, I thought you went out to hurt yourself. And I thought it was my fault. I notified Tom you were missing. I’ve never prayed so hard before in my life. I found myself begging for you to be safe. When Mary said you probably ran back to your Privileged, my heart broke for you. I have no clue what kind of history you have with him, but you came here, so it can’t be good. The fact you felt you didn’t have friends here…well…that was my fault.”

“I was stupid, Mel”, Eve said. “I should have controlled my feelings.”

“We’re all women here, babe” Mel chuckled, “We can’t always lock up our feelings…”

“Tom can”, Eve mumbled.

“Tom is a typical man, isn’t he?” Mel shook her head. “I have been here for several years, Eve. In all that time I have never seen him look at anyone the way he does at you. That must mean something…”

The pair continued their cooking and served the stew that evening. Tom returned from his A.L.F. chores and shared his stories with James excitedly. The girls tended to his every need, to make sure their hero was comfortable.

Evelyn set her plate away from the rest, as usual. As everyone settled for dinner, Mel stood up demonstratively and grabbed her plate and cutlery. With proud steps she moved several spaces down the large table to sit right across Evelyn. The rest at the table stared at her silently. Mel exchanged a look with Eve. Evelyn looked down the table to see shocked faces. Tom’s eyebrows were raised in surprise, but he seemed to regard the situation with mild amusement. Mel started chatting with Eve calmly as she ate her stew. Tom followed suit and struck up a conversation with Amy and Mary. When everyone seemed to accept Mel’s statement, she picked up her plate and motioned for Eve to slide down the table with her, next to Tamara, who was sitting a few spaced away from Evelyn. Eve picked up her plate with trembling fingers.

“May we join you, ladies?” Mel asked lightly. Tamara looked up at Eve and Mary looked from Tom, to Tamara, to Mel, to Eve. It was nerve-wracking. The silence must not have taken much more than a few seconds, but to Evelyn it felt like ages. Finally, Tamara nodded. “Of course, sit…”

Eve was finally included in the conversation, which was led by Tom. He explained how he and several other members of A.L.F. had given a very “clear” message to a Member of Parliament. He believed, with some luck, they might have been able to raise some more serious awareness within the political circles.

By the end of the evening, Tom apologized to the girls. “I’m sorry, ladies. I’ll be back in a few days.” The groans of disappointment made him chuckle. “Ehehehe, don’t worry. No A.L.F. this time. I still have a day job, you know…” He smiled and looked down the room, his eyes lingering on Eve, who was too busy cleaning the dining table to notice.

As soon as Tom was out the door, Mel gathered everyone around.

“Listen up, everyone. We all know Tom has been stressed lately and we all know why that is.”

Most girls exchanged a few confused glances, a few of them nodded knowingly.

“It’s all because of Eve”, Mel said, nodding to her newfound friend.

“Because of me?” Eve asked. “What did I do now?”

Mary finally spoke up. “Melissa’s right, dear. It has always been you. From the moment he met you.”

Amy and Tamara nodded. “Definitely”, Amy interjected. “He’s obsessed with you. It’s probably time to do something about it.”

“You do feel the same about him, right?” Tamara asked suddenly. “I mean, there’s been some drama between you two. You can spot the sexual tension a mile away…”

Eve felt her cheeks flush red and the girls laughed. “That’s it then”, Mel said. “You’re going to surprise him tonight.”

“I’m going to what?” Eve gasped.

Mel rummaged through her drawers and pulled out make-up. “We will have the girly night that involves making you look drop-dead gorgeous and sending you over to Tom. Making you pretty is the easy part. Convincing James to bring you to Tom’s door safely is trickier.”

“Oh Mel, I don’t know about this…” Eve protested. “Things are complicated…”

“So we’ll uncomplicate it”, Amy giggled and started working on Eve’s hair, while Mary and a couple of other women looked through everyone’s collection to combine a set of simple, yet elegant clothes that would fit Eve. Tamara was in a heated discussion with James.

The girls had a blast playing dress-up with Eve. Eve sat there dazed. When they were done, James sighed wearily and jingled his car keys. “Better hurry, before he’s in bed…” James said.

The car ride back to London was all but comfortable. Eve had to hide away from the window, just in case the authority was lurking about. James knew all the sneaky backroads to get there safely though.

Finally, he pulled up in Tom’s street, pointing to the right apartment. “He’ll be in there. His light’s on, so I think he’s still up. Ah yes, there he is…” Eve swallowed as she looked up to the apartment and saw a shadow of Tom’s lean frame walking past the window.

“What am I supposed to do, James?” Eve asked fearfully.

James’ normally stern face softened and he rubbed her shoulder encouragingly. “Just be yourself. Now, I’ll be back here at 4 AM to pick you back up. Any later and it’ll be dangerous, OK? Don’t forget…If you’re not outside by 4:15 I’m forced to leave you behind…”

Evelyn nodded. She stepped out of James’ van and glanced back at him one last time before heading up the stairs towards Tom’s door. James nodded with half a smile and finally drove off.

Eve’s heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she rang Tom’s doorbell. She heard shuffling towards the door and a pause. Eve took a slight step back to allow Tom to see her through the peep hole. With a violent swing the door opened and Tom looked at her bewildered.

“What the-“, He started.

“Tom, please…the girls. They told me to come…” Eve interfered apologetically.

Tom shook his head. “How the hell did you get here?”

Eve sighed. “James drove me…”

“James?” Tom’s brow knitted in confusion. “Why are you here?”

Eve didn’t know how to answer that question. She had kind of allowed the girls to do what they wanted in a daze. She had no idea how to act or what to do now that the plan was in execution. She bit her plump lower lip and weaved from side to side, nervous about explaining what the plan actually was. Finally, after deciding she could not find the words she stood on the tips of her toes and leaned in to place a light, chaste kiss on Tom’s lips.

Tom’s eyes widened in shock. As Eve retreated he stared at her questioningly. Eve searched his eyes, but found nothing she could understand. Ashamed of her sudden boldness she lowered hers.

“Eve…” Tom began, but Evelyn shook her head.

“No, please. Just…never mind.”

She had not expected what came.

Tom’s lips ravaged hers suddenly with unbridled passion. Eve hardly had time to register what was happening. His hands were on her hips as he pulled her inside the apartment roughly and closed the door behind her, only to slam her against it. His body pressed against hers, lips never leaving her mouth. 

Eve couldn’t breathe. She pushed against his chest lightly, and he allowed her to breathe momentarily, before diving in again. His tongue probed her mouth feverishly and Evelyn obliged by parting her lips. As if suddenly aware of his own urgency Tom softened his kiss, his tongue softly exploring the inside of her mouth. Evelyn’s tongue met his in a slow, sensual dance. His hands roamed over her body, from her hips over her sides to her breasts. His left hand cupped a handful, while the other moved to her cheek, then her neck and tangled into her hair. Eve whimpered and Tom moaned softly, before retreating.

The pair panted, gazing in each other’s eyes. Slowly, Tom smiled. Eve sniggered and Tom joined in, resting his forehead against hers.

“I believe we have a lot to talk about”, he whispered and nipped the corner of her mouth and then her neck. Eve nodded, then her eyes fluttered shut as Tom trailed wet circles along her collar bone. She groaned, throwing her head back in her neck. “Not like this, we won’t”, she mumbled and Tom laughed.

He dipped down, circling his strong arms around her buttocks and lifted her short frame off the ground and deeper into his apartment.

“Very well”, he murmured. “First, we’ll talk. Then we need to make up for lost time…” And he gave her a wicked grin. 


	16. I'm yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dears,
> 
> Thank you so much for your support and feedback. I truly apologize for the lack of uploads sometimes. I have a rather demanding job, which takes up much of my time (and sanity!). This means that I consciously have to look for moments to write again. 
> 
> A chapter of smut for you here....something I still need to get used to. I hope you enjoy anyway...

Tom rummaged around in his kitchen to make us some tea. I sat on the sofa in his living room, nervously scanning the room. Every sound of a car outside made me jump. I was very aware of the fact that I was “wanted” for abandoning my registered Privileged. This was the first time I was outside of the safety of the Sanctuary again after the car chase of some time ago. Honestly, I was amazed that the authorities still hadn’t found our hide-out. Tom had his fellow Liberation Front fighters patrol the area regularly. It was good to know there were still people out there who were on our side.

Tom came in, smiling, with two steaming mugs of tea. With a content sigh he took his place on the sofa next to me, putting my tea on the coffee table and taking a sip from his own before setting it down. I smiled when he leaned in slightly to brush a strand of hair from my cheek. He cupped my face with one hand, trailing circles with his thumb.

“I can’t believe I wasted so much time”, he sighed.

“Well, it’s not like I deserve the grand prize for handling everything so well”, I remarked and Tom chuckled.

“We were both idiots.”

“So…now what?” I asked him.

Tom frowned as he considered the question. He shook his head and shrugged. “We’ll continue keeping you safe at the Sanctuary. I keep fighting for your rights.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. “Our rights.”

I nodded. The feel of his hand in mine was comforting. Reassuring. Yet I couldn’t shake a horrible lingering feeling. “Tom, what if something happens to you…?”

He narrowed his eyes, clicked his tongue and settled back into the sofa. “I don’t know, darling. I’m more worried about you.” He suddenly turned to me, grabbing my head in his hands and looked at me seriously. “Eve, you have to promise me you won’t go and do anything stupid again. I mean, you coming here tonight…I’m so grateful, but it’s dangerous. I can’t-“

I was shocked to see tears well in his eyes. It was heartbreaking. Tom choked back a sob.

“I can’t do it”, he whispered. “I can’t go through it again. Not you as well. Please…please, after tonight…stay in the Sanctuary. Don’t take any more risks…”

I felt tears burning in my eyes, threatening to spill over my cheeks. “Oh Tom”, I sighed and leaned in to kiss him. “I promise…”

He answered my kiss eagerly, holding my face steady and making our lips meet over and over. I wanted nothing more than to be impossibly close to him. To have him consume me fully and completely wrap me up in his love.

Tom’s breathing quickened as our kisses became more frantic and passionate. “Come here”, he demanded and pulled me on his lap to straddle him. His mouth roamed over my skin, leaving a trail of kisses, licks and bites over my neck and shoulders. I moaned. I felt his lips curve into a smile against my collarbone as he grabbed my bum and squeezed it. He looked up into my eyes, seemingly wanting to see my response as he let his hands roam over my back, my buttocks, then back over my back to my neck and finally slowly over my front to my breasts. He paused there as he massaged them, his thumbs paying special attention on my nipples, as they hardened under the fabric of my bra and shirt.

He excited me beyond words. My jaw dropped and my chest heaved every time his thumb rubbed over my nipples. My hips bucked involuntarily, causing me to grind against his groan. Tom let out a shaky breath.

“I want you.”

“I want you”, I answered.

He decided not wait any longer as he swiftly pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side. I unhooked my bra to reveal my breasts to him. As soon as Tom caught sight of them he dived in and took my right nipple between his lips. I cried out in pleasure when he nipped at it and finally licked and sucked to ease the pain of the bite. I felt his desire grow between my legs, to which I started to grind against him even more, pulling soft growls and groans from him.

Tom held me tight, his lips never leaving my breasts, as he lifted me up and laid me down on the sofa, hovering over me. He moved up and claimed my mouth, his hands roaming over me. I fiddled with the buttons of his shirts as he unbuttoned and unzipped my trousers. I planted my feet on the sofa and lifted my butt for him to slip it off of me. I whimpered in frustration with his shirt. He grinned.

“Rip it off.”

“What?”

“Just rip it off…”

I ripped at the shirt, buttons flying everywhere, to reveal his beautifully trained body.

Tom laughed softly as I eagerly caressed his chest and abdomen.

“Like what you see?”

“God, yes…” I sighed.

He smiled, moving back over me. His fingers tickled over my skin until he paused. He searched my eyes quickly and then pressed his palm against my sex. I gasped.

“Christ, you’re positively soaking. Your panties are drenched”, he grinned wickedly as he added extra pressure.

“Don’t tease…” I pleaded.

He slipped down between my legs, his hands resting on my thighs. He breathed in my scent and groaned appreciatively.

“Let me just take in this moment, darling. Your smell, the sight of that wet spot forming. God, this is what I do to you and it’s glorious…”

Tom pressed his thumb right where he guessed my clit was, under the black lace of my panties. He guessed right.

“Fuck!” I cursed and my hips bucked. He slipped his finger down, back up again, down again, adding just enough pressure to make me lose my mind. Then, suddenly, I felt him suckle at my sex through my panties.

The sensation was unbelievable. The knowledge only a thin piece of fabric was separating his tongue from my wet folds was incredibly frustrating, which only heightened the sensations. I grabbed his head, pushing him closer to me. Tom licked, nibbled and sucked, the sounds mind-blowingly erotic.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, Tom pushed my panties aside and sucked on my clit as if his life depended on it.

My orgasm came crashing out of nowhere.

He was relentless, now slipping two fingers into me and pumping vigorously. He moaned against my clit. “Come for me, beautiful. Over and over…” he groaned and then devoured my clit again.

The waves ebbed away, but he didn’t give up, licking, sucking, and pumping away.

“Stop…” I whined. I was sensitive, I needed to recover, but Tom ignored me.

My second orgasm overtook me, making me scream, shudder, and buck wildly under him.

Tom smiled as I came back from cloud nine. He crawled up and kissed me. I tasted myself on his lips, his chin, and his tongue. It was glorious.

“Eve, God…I need to-“ he started. His eyes darkened, his pupils blown with lust.

“Yes”, I answered and helped him undo his trousers.

His cock was gorgeous, smooth and erect with a drop of precum glistening on the tip. He hesitated. “Can I…?”

I nodded. I was one of the girls at the Sanctuary who hadn’t stopped taking contraception for the sake of control.

Tom pressed himself against my entrance and looked at me for approval. Slowly he pressed into me. He shuddered and sighed. I bit my lip. It had been a while since I had sex and I needed to get used to being filled like this again.

“Alright, darling?” He asked, his brow furrowed with concern. I smiled reassuringly and nodded.

He started moving, slowly building a pace. All my feelings, lust and love for him pooled in my stomach and from there spread to my fingers and toes.

“Ahh, Tom…” I moaned. His lips bruised mine over and over as he thrust harder, his tongue darting in and out of my mouth as his cock was doing to me.

“I love fucking you…” he growled in my ear. “You feel so good, so tight. I fit right into you. We’re made for each other, darling. I want to do this all night. Over and over. Bring you to the edge, but deny you release. Then build it again and hold back. Until we both can’t take it anymore. I want to see you come completely undone before me and watch you come back together again. Then I want to do it all again. Mark you as mine…”

His words were driving me mad. Nothing coherent came out of my mouth as he did as he promised. He brought me there, to that point of breaking, then held still to kiss me and let the tension ebb away.

He fucked me slowly, building the pace, until he abandoned all politeness and took me in his own primal, animalistic way.

He watched me, I watched him.

His mouth was open, as was mine.

Pants, sighs, moans and shouts filled the room.

I had never made love like this before.

It was intense, yet lazy. It was loving, yet dirty. It was controlled, yet wild.

“Oh…Eve…” Tom sighed as his hips snapped faster and faster. He couldn’t hold back anymore and happily lost himself into me.

He cried out, biting my shoulder as his hips stuttered.

The expression of pure ecstasy on his beautiful face pushed me over the edge. I found my own release in his arms, my centre clenching around him. Tom held on as I screamed his name. He shushed me gently, pulling me to him as I came back down.

We laid there, almost fused together as if taking us apart would murder us.

“I’m yours…” he whispered. “Totally and utterly yours…”

I nuzzled against his chest, counting my blessings and drifted off to the calmest sleep I’d ever had.  


	17. Sheer happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers,
> 
> Your encouragement means so much to me. I'm sorry for being slow with uploading. My work is taking up a lot of my time and especially lately I have very little spare time to write! I'm trying to write a little bit every weekend!
> 
> Unfortunately, this is all that came out of me today and tomorrow morning I have to work early again. I really need to get to bed! I hope you don't mind. I'll try to get back and finish this chapter as soon as possible :)
> 
> love,  
> D.

“Eve?”

Tom gently whispered into his lover’s ear. Eve was fast asleep. He smiled as he watched her bosom rise and fall with every peaceful breath. Tom moved his hand to her face and softly caressed her cheek. Eve let out a disturbed groan.

“Darling”, Tom chuckled. “Sweetheart, you need to get back…”

Eve’s eyes fluttered open. She smiled as she watched Tom’s handsome face. Then she looked around.

“How did I end up in the bed?” She recalled falling asleep on the sofa.

“I carried you here”, he murmured while brushing his lips against hers.

“I didn’t even notice.”

“You were quite unconscious. I’m just that bloody good.” Tom laughed heartily at his own joke. Eve punched his arm playfully.

Eve sat up rubbing her eyes. It was still dark in the room. She hated having to go back. “Can’t I just stay here? I’ll be quiet as a mouse. I’ll stay away from the windows and everything…”

Tom shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, darling. I won’t risk it.” He went back to caressing her cheek and hair. “I won’t take any more risks. You’re too precious for me.”

Eve smiled and leaned in for a soft, chaste kiss. Tom rubbed his nose against hers and pulled her in a close embrace.

“I kept you at a distance, because I was so afraid of losing you.”

Eve nodded. “I know. I understand…I promise I’ll stay out of trouble.” She yawned and looked for a clock. "What time is it?”

“Almost 5”, Tom mumbled.

Eve pulled away from him suddenly and cursed.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit”, she exclaimed as she frantically looked for her clothes.

“Why?” Tom watched her run from one end of the room to the other, gathering clothing items and clumsily dressing herself. “What time would James be here?”

“4:15!”

“Fuck!” He shouted and sprang from the bed himself. He went to the window and slowly pulled the curtain aside, peering outside. The car wasn’t there.

Evelyn was hopping through the bedroom, trying to get her right sock on.

“You can stop now…he’s gone.” Tom mumbled.

Behind him Eve lost balance and tumbled over, hands still on the her foot. Tom laughed.

“Shut up”, she muttered.

“It’s not a huge problem. We’ll have to be careful, but I’ll take you back as soon as I can. I suppose we will have to keep you here for a while. Two days at most, I believe. Think you can handle that?”

“Dynah…” Eve said weakly.

“Dynah will be fine. The girls adore her. She won’t want for anything.”

“Just haven’t gone without her for this long, apart from-…” She stopped herself suddenly and shook that horrible memory away.

Tom furrowed a brow. “Apart from what? What happened to Dynah?”

Eve sucked in a breath and finally revealed to Tom what Benedict had done to her. Tom’s expression slowly changed from worried to aghast to seriously disgusted.

“Motherf-“, He bit his fist to keep from finishing.

“In his defense…he didn’t actually kill her…” Eve said softly.

“In his defense? Eve, seriously?” Tom was suddenly full of fire. “How could you even consider defending him? After everything he did to you? How could you-“

“Tom, please”, Eve interrupted. “Ben is not a threat to you…but you were the one that once told me it takes a strong person to withstand all of the power that is given to these Privileged. Evidently, Ben was not as strong as he initially thought. You were the one that said that you’ve seen the best of them cave. You know him. Wasn’t he one of those best?”

Tom pressed his lips into a thin line and turned away from her.

“I’m still not sure if I’ll be able to contain myself if I see him…”

Evelyn moved to him, circled her arms around his tall frame and pressed against his back. “Just ignore him if you do. He can’t hurt us anymore. I’m sure he wouldn’t either. He was different that night. He doesn’t want us to get caught.”

Tom nodded softly and covered her hands with his.

“I’ll let James know that you are safe.”

“I hope he’s not angry”, Eve whispered.

“Perhaps a bit miffed, but don’t worry too much about it. He’s mainly bark, very little bite.”

Tom turned around and grinned mischievously. “I have a few more hours before I need to be at the studio”, he said while licking his lips. “Since you’re not going anywhere I think I should take full advantage of that.”

“Is that right?” Eve giggled and Tom nodded, picking her up with ease and tossing her on the bed.

“Just wait and see”, he growled as he crawled towards her.

Evelyn laughed at the sight of her newfound lover seducing her, but Tom quickly silenced her with his mouth. Eve hummed against his lips, lost in his kiss, his taste, his warmth. 

His hand travelled down over her breasts and he let out a disappointed moan as he felt her shirt. "That's right...you got dressed", he complained. "Let me fix that..." 

Evelyn lazily let Tom undo her half-done clothes, smirking at his impatience. He unveiled her breasts and sucked in a breath. "There they are...exquisite..."

Eve bit her lip. She never quite accepted her own body, but she supposed that most women struggled with their figure. Next to her natural insecurities, she had received an enormous blow from having to compete with Kate, who is absolutely stunning. 

Tom quickly distracted her from her depressing thoughts when his tongue hungrily lapped at her nipple. She arched her back, crying out with the sudden jolt of pleasure. He smirked a mischievous smile at her ecstasy and trailed his tongue down her body. Her skin was ablaze and Tom loved every inch of it. He licked, sucked and bit into the soft, pale flesh and paused as he reached her sex.

Evelyn held her breath expectantly, but Tom was certainly in no hurry. He gently smoothed her legs apart and breathed in the sensual smell of her sex. "Oh darling, you are absolutely perfect", he moaned. He placed soft, little kisses over her inner thighs, threatening to come dangerously close to her centre, but never actually touching it. Eve writhed and squirmed underneath him. Tom smiled. 

Slowly, he looked up at her. Their eyes met only briefly, but Eve felt it lasted forever. Within his pupils she read a fire, love and desire she had never known before. This truth filled her with joy and her eyes with tears. As if satisfied with her response, Tom dipped down and slowly, achingly slowly licked a long stripe from her core to that very sensitive nub. Eve's hips lifted up from the bed, her hands flying to his head and tangling within his hair as she held him there. 

Softly, he slipped his lips around her bundle of nerves and sucked. A series of "ahhs", "Gods" and "Toms" fell from Eve's lips accompanied by the occasional curse. Tom slipped a long finger inside of her, then another, and moaned against her clit. Eve felt she was going to faint. Just when she thought she was losing it, Tom stopped sucking and started pumping his digits inside of her slowly. Then he flashed her a wicked smile and curled his fingers. Eve screamed as Tom expertly rubbed her g-spot. He moved in for the kill and wrapped his lips around her clit again. 

Eve didn't stand a chance. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she came completely and utterly undone for the man she loved. 

"Oh my God..." Eve breathed as Tom joined her side. He kissed her and Evelyn tasted herself on his lips. She smiled at his frustration, very evident under the thin fabric of his boxers. Without a word, Eve wrapped her slender fingers around his desire. Tom's eyes widened. 

"Let me return the favour, my love..." She whispered as she slipped his underwear off. 

"Let me watch you", Tom answered and went to stand next to the bed. Eve sat on her knees on the bed. 

She studied his hardness with care and desire. Something about him standing there, so exposed, only made her heart swell. This was intimacy in the highest form. Softly, she licked out to the head and Tom gasped. Her tongue traced circles over the tip before she moved her lips over his shaft and took his impressive size in as deep as she could without gagging. Tom groaned, holding her head, but not forcing her. Tentatively, she moved her lips up and down, sometimes pausing to lick and suck the head. Her fingers were wrapped around the base, moving up and down whenever her mouth wasn't. 

"Oh darling..." Tom moaned, "You're everything I've ever wanted..." 

Eve sucked slightly harder, making Tom's knees grow weak. 

"Sweetheart, let me have you, please..." Tom begged and Eve released his cock from her lips with a soft pop. 

He pushed her back gently, before joining her, his tall frame hovering over hers. He stared at her appreciatively. "You're so beautiful, my love..." he whispered. Eve wanted to answer and assure him of her adoration of his handsome face, but without warning Tom slammed into her, making her scream with lust instead as he stretched and filled her.

Tom gritted his teeth and hissed. Her warm wetness engulfed him as he built a steady pace. His arms wrapped around hers and she embraced him tightly in response. Slowly, he increased the pace, slipping inch by inch in and out of her. Eve moaned and licked at his ear. Tom shivered with delight. "Deeper", she begged and she set her heels on the bed, lifting herself up to allow him even more access. 

Tom cried out and snapped his hips faster, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead as he took his love completely. 

"I love you..." Eve whispered and that was his undoing. Tom came with a shout, spilling into her, hips bucking erratically. Eve's orgasm was more languid and peaceful the second time around. Her walls clenched around him, milking every last drop from him. Deep sighs escaping from her lips. Tom's "ohhs" calmed and became longer as he rested his head against her chest. Evelyn cradled his head, holding him close. 

"I love you too..." He placed a final kiss on her collarbone and smiled. 

Tom couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy. 

 

 


	18. What goes around comes around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back!
> 
> Thank you all for your support. Life and work have been crazy and to top it all off, I was diagnosed with an infection of my balance organ (Vestibular Neuritis). Here's a chapter for you though! Not my best work (had to deal with dizziness as I was writing it), but I hope you'll enjoy regardless

Tom turned off the engine of the car in front of the Sanctuary. I had spent a few days in his apartment, staying away from the windows. The moments we shared together were glorious. We talked, laughed and made love. We got to know each other better, our passions, our heartbreak, our hope for the future. Being back brought us back to reality. It felt terrible. I leaned back in the chair and groaned softly. Tom smiled softly.

“I know, darling…” he said softly.

“I don’t want to be here”, I grumbled. He pulled me close and planted a sweet kiss on my lips.

“I’ll make sure I’m here as often as I can. I do have that separate bedroom and well…I haven’t failed making you scream yet. I wonder if you could keep quiet, knowing the girls would hear you…” He flashed a wicked grin and I punched his arm.

With heavy steps we entered the Sanctuary. Dynah was ecstatic. The days in Tom’s apartment was great, but not having my best friend with me was hard.

The girls and James did not seem as enthusiastic. In fact, they all looked terrified.

“What’s wrong?” Tom asked.

“Sir”, James said softly, “There’s someone waiting for you in your room. For…both of you.”

I was as confused as Tom was. We exchanged glances as James stood up from his chair. “I’ll call him in…” he said wearily.

James opened the door and beckoned for someone to come out.

He was impeccably dressed. In a beautiful suit, as if he was heading towards a gala. His dark locks brushed back neatly. Everything about him was radiant.

But all I could do was stare in horror as Benedict exited Tom’s room.

It was like it all happened in slow motion. Tom didn’t hesitate; he charged at Ben and punched him square in the face. Benedict stumbled back, then recovered. His hand moved to his bloodstained lip. He threw his hands up to calm Tom down, but Tom now had his hand on his throat and slammed him against the wall. I was shocked to see so much hatred in his eyes.

“Calm down….I need to talk to you”, Ben croaked as Tom squeezed his throat.

“How the fuck did you find us…?” Tom growled through gritted teeth, his nostrils flaring.

“You’re not as secret as you think you are”, Ben said, “but I’m not here to hurt you, Tom.” Ben’s eyes flashed to me momentarily, “I’m not here to hurt either of you…”

“Tom, please…” I pleaded, “let him go…”

Tom shot me a hurt and disappointed look. “Don’t you dare, Eve. Don’t make excuses. Stop defending him.”

“I’m not…but perhaps we should hear him out?”

Tom loosened his grip, but still dragged Benedict to a chair by his collar. The impeccable suit was not that crisp anymore. Tom forced Ben to sit down. The girls all exchanged tense glances. James had his head buried in his hands.

“What is going on…?” I demanded.

“The authorities know where you are…” Ben stated calmly.

“Y-you told them…?” I couldn’t believe it. After begging me to leave and save my own life, he ratted me out.

“No!” Ben answered fiercely. “I have absolutely nothing to do with it.”

“Bullshit”, Tom spat. “Why would you know otherwise? Have you come here to gloat, Cumberbatch? Did you want to see your ex get locked up? I’ll die before I’ll let that happen…”

Ben shook his head. “I’d never hurt her…”

“More lies…” Tom breathed.

“Never!” Ben shouted. “Never again…” He paused, fixing his eyes on me. “Evelyn, I didn’t know Kate was involved with the authorities until after we saw you at our house that night. I kept an eye on her. I overheard phone calls…she has been trying to find you and get you arrested. I don’t know how she did it, but she found this address. Being her Privileged, I was able to force her to tell me where it was. She told me everything. The authorities know exactly where you are. ”

Tamara sobbed. Mary circled his arm around her.

Tom looked defeated. He stood there helplessly, looking at all the people he attempted to save. Tears welled in his eyes.

“There’s more...,” Ben sighed. I frowned. Some of the girls looked at Ben, fearing he was going to give them a worse fate than they were already awaiting.

“The night you fled from those agents…one of their cars crashed. The agent was killed. You are being blamed for it, Eve…and you will not only be arrested for running away, but also for murdering an agent of the Authority.”

My mouth dropped. Tom shook his head. “That was me. I did that. I made the agent crash…”

Benedict nodded. “I know…but…Kate recognized you that night. I can’t believe I didn’t. I know you, Tom…we’ve worked together…,” Ben gave Tom a pleading look, “You’ve got to believe me. Kate told the authorities she thought you were behind the A.L.F.”

“Why on earth would they blame Eve?” Tom asked, “if they know I’m involved and that I was steering that car-“

“- You are a Privileged”, Ben interrupted. “You can’t be touched, Tom. They’ll be lenient with you. A fine at most.” Benedict sighed. “They’ve been watching your apartment day and night. They saw Evelyn there…they saw that you two-…”

Benedict paused there and swallowed. An uncomfortable silence followed.

“Eve, I’m happy you found someone…” Ben whispered, “…and I’m happy it’s you, Tom.”

A silent tear rolled down my cheek. Whatever he had done to me, it didn’t matter anymore. He had proven he loved me by gracefully letting me go.

Tom broke the silence that had followed. “We need to evacuate everybody.”

“How?” James asked. “We don’t have enough cars, we don’t have enough people. Not even your A.L.F. fighters know where this place is…”

“Then perhaps it’s time to let them know”, Tom sighed, massaging his temples. “When will they arrive here, Benedict?”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t know…soon…I came as soon as I could. I only found out a few hours ago myself…”

I looked at Tom fearfully. “That means they could already-“

“COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!” a voice shouted over a megaphone. “THE BUILDING IS SURROUNDED. COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!”

Some of the girls screamed. Melanie grabbed onto James and he held her tightly. Benedict hung his head. Tom stared at me. I stared at him.

“Evelyn, we need to hide you…” Tom started.

I looked around the room. The girls were sobbing uncontrollably, holding onto each other. Fear was written all over their faces.

“No…” I whispered.

Ben’s head snapped up. “Eve, he’s right. They will show you no mercy.”

“I can’t leave the girls…” I answered.

Tom followed my eyes and looked at his precious friends. He then sighed and shook his head.

Suddenly, there was loud banging at the door. A few girls screamed again. Tom strode to the door.

“Don’t!” James yelled, but Tom had already swung the door open. A few agents stumbled in surprise.

“Gentlemen”, Tom said calmly. “My name is Thomas William Hiddleston and I am the founder of the A.L.F. movement. I have attacked ministers, spread hate speech against the government, aided runaway Appointed and most recently I killed one of your agents by purposely leading his car into a tree. You came here to arrest me, not these girls.”

“Tom, NO!” I screamed.

“Be quiet”, he said softly. “Do not hurt these girls, officer. I am fully responsible for them and their running away.”

The agents exchanged uncertain glances. One of them straightened up and puffed out his chest. “We are aware of who you are, Mr Hiddleston. We know about your work.”

Tom extended his hands, so they could cuff him.

The agent shook his head. “I can’t help you there, Mr. Hiddleston.” He then looked up. “Only one of your girls can…”

Tom gave him a startled look. The agent avoided his gaze.

“Ladies. My name is Grant Taylor. I was given the unfortunate task of taking you all in…”

Melanie whimpered. Mary held onto Tamara, who was shaking uncontrollably.

“Unless… _Evelyn Knight_ turns herself in.” His words were barbed and full of venom. It was clear this man hated me. “Which one of you is her?”

There was silence. None of them dared to look at me. My heart was pounding and I felt the blood leave my face. It was as if I was going to faint. The only way out of this mess was giving myself up.

“I am…” I said softly.

Tom cursed and shook his head to me. His eyes wild with fear.

Benedict jumped up and put a hand on my shoulder. “Mr Taylor, you cannot arrest this woman.”

“And why is that?” Taylor asked lazily as he readied the handcuffs.

“She is my Appointed,” Ben tried.

“Nice try, Mr. Cumberbatch, but we are very aware of the history between the two of you.” Taylor answered, “You have a new Appointed now and you are very lucky to have her. Kate, your First Appointed, has given us some very valuable information. _This_ woman…” he nodded towards me, “…was reported missing and our evidence shows this checks out.”

Ben paused, desperately trying to come up with arguments. It took too long and Taylor looked bored.

“Arrest her”, he said. Tom roared and Benedict tried to plead with them.

My head was full, I felt dazed. I looked around the room. All the girls were staring at me in horror. Tom kicked and jerked, while being held back by two strong agents. Benedict used his best tactic to convince Taylor he shouldn’t take me away.

“But the girls…they’re free to go?”

Taylor stopped and turned as I spoke. His eyes flitted across the room. It must have been a great prize…but a deal is a deal.

“The rest are free to go…mind you…we do not know who you are…you are still listed as missing Appointed. But today is your lucky day…”

I nodded and sighed. “OK then…” I extended my hands. When they clasped the irons on me I felt my heart sink.

“Evelyn Knight, you are arrested for abandoning your duties as an Appointed, abandoning your Privileged, and murdering an officer of the Authority. All these actions are punishable by death, but you will be given a trial. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

I nodded to indicate I understood the charges. “Ben…?” I whispered.

“Eve?” Ben stepped forward hastily.

“Take care of Dynah…and Tom..”

I held my head up high, as two agents grabbed my arm on each side and guided me towards a car. I didn’t dare look back. I knew it would break my heart.

Behind me Tom was crying out my name.


	19. Chapter 19

The unrelenting dripping of a nearby faucet woke her up. Eve groaned as her eyes fluttered open. Her cell was damp and dark. Slowly she pushed herself off the stone slab that was supposed to serve as a bed. She shivered as she realized how cold she really was. Her lips were dry. She had been there for six days and only once did they bring her water. At the beginning...that small bottle was empty now. Eve hadn't requested a new bottle. The warden was imposing and mean. She dared not become too cheeky with him. 

The area was constantly filled with sobs and cries, usually of women. Now and then she would hear the warden take someone away from a cell next to her, but she could never see where they went. Sometimes they would take someone away. Usually, they came back. However, yesterday a woman was taken away and she would not stop screaming. They still haven't brought her back. 

 

"Evelyn Knight!" a harsh voice cried, "you must be quite the prissy princess. You actually have a visitor..."

Eve frowned as she heard slow, but deliberate footsteps approaching. Perhaps her time was up...after all, she was very aware of the fact that most women who were locked up here would never see the light of day again. Her eyes were still adjusting to the dark room. She believed the thumping of her heart could not get any louder as the footsteps grew louder and louder. She clenched her hands tightly around the bars of her cell as she peered into the darkness to the figure approaching. 

 

A warm, comforting hand wrapped around her fingers. It felt familiar. Why could she still not see? Was it the darkness? Or was thirst taking her eyesight away?

"Eve...darling..."

"Ben!", Evelyn cried upon hearing his familiar voice. She squinted to try and look at his face.

"Evelyn, are they taking care of you?" His voice was full of concern. 

"So...thirsty..." Eve mumbled through dry, chapped lips.

"We need water here!" Benedict shouted at the warden. "Why aren't you giving these women enough water?"

A figure rushed over to bring a new tiny bottle of water and Benedict assisted Evelyn as she tried to drink. The water hitting her lips was the most glorious thing she had ever felt. 

"Easy...easy now", Ben whispered, allowing Evelyn to drink as he supported her head with his left hand and held the water in his right. "Tiny sips..." Ben allowed her to take three more sips and then screwed the cap back on. "You should keep the rest for later. Try to ration the water. I'll talk to the warden to see what we can do..."

Eve's eyes were finally adjusting - or was it the water- and Ben's handsome face became clearer in the dreariness of the cell block. 

"Ben, w-why are you here?" Evelyn sighed. 

"I demanded to see you...I was here to try and get you acquitted, Evelyn. I thought if I'd tell them that Kate had lied...that she was jealous."

Evelyn shook her head. "She didn't lie, but she was jealous..."

"They don't know that she didn't lie..." Ben tried. 

"They have footage of Tom and I...they have proof of us..." Eve stopped when she saw Ben's pained expression. 

"That is what they told me...Evelyn...they won't let you go...I am trying the best I could possibly do, but I cannot get you out."

Eve reached for her ex-lover through the bars of the cell. Her hand cupped his face. "I appreciate your efforts, but I fear it's too late..."

Ben closed his eyes and leaned against her hand. She felt soft and sweet. His heart felt heavy when he realized he lost her due to his own greed and stupidity. He turned his face to place a light kiss on her palm, then he opened his eyes and sighed. "Eve, I think there will be a trial and it will be a media spectacle. The fact that this involves the A.L.F. is a huge deal. The fact that Tom was the leader-"

"Tom!" Eve cried. "How is Tom? How is Dynah?"

"They are fine", Ben assured her. "James is taking care of Dynah. It is a wonder the authorities kept their word and did not pick all those women up. Most of them have fled. Some have gone abroad, I hear." Ben hesitated. He took her hands in his and rubbed tiny cicles over thumbs. "Tom is waiting outside...I didn't know what state I would find you in. And I-....I wanted to have the opportunity to...to tell you-" Ben grimaced. The pain on his face was unbearingly evident. 

"It's OK, Ben", Eve whispered. 

"It is absolutely not OK", Ben cried. "I have insulted you, hurt you and driven you away. I have done exactly that which I thought I was incapable of and the price was higher than I could ever imagine. Evelyn, I am so, so sorry..." Tears formed in his eyes and they broke Evelyn's heart.

"I forgive you, Ben..." she said. 

Ben leaned his head to her. Eve rested her forehead against his through the bars. 

"Can I see Tom?" she asked timidly. Ben nodded and pressed his lips against her forehead before turning away from her reluctantly. 

Eve wrapped her arms around herself as she waited in the cold cell. She was exhausted from lying on the slab of stone. She hadn't had a decent night of sleep in such a long time. Worry and sleep deprivation lined her face and eyes. Hurried steps caught her attention and she rushed to the bars once more. 

"Eve!" Tom exclaimed. He looked rough. His face was unshaven. Above his left eyebrow was a bandaid. His eyes had dark circles underneath them. His upper lip was slightly cut and some light bruises stained his handsome features. 

"Oh Tom, what happened to you..." Eve moaned as her fingers caressed his cheeks. Tom grabbed her hand and he kissed it, over and over again. 

"Never mind that, my dear. Are you alright? I swear, I will kill whoever lays a finger on you..."

She shushed him gently and he complied. 

"Kiss me..." her voice was hoarse with emotion. His lips found hers in unbridled passion and the two stayed locked like that for as long as they could.

An embarrassed cough interrupted their reunion. Benedict stood in the back. He lowered his eyes apologetically. "The warden tells me to end the visit. They normally do not allow this...but I managed to persuade them to let us visit you more often as we await the date of the trial."

"We will get you out...and when we do, we'll leave darling...we'll leave this accursed place and be happy together. We'll take Dynah and leave...away from here."

Eve sobbed. Both men rushed to comfort her. She shook her head violently. "They'll never give me a fair trial. No one has gotten out yet. How will I be able to?"

Tom let out a shaky sigh. "No one ever had their Privileged on their side..."

Eve's eyes met Benedict's and he nodded. "I will do everything in my power to get you out, Eve. Anything at all..."

She smiled at him thankfully before turning back to Tom. She gave him one final kiss before they had to part. 

"Hang in there..." Tom offered reassuringly, "We will win this". Eve nodded and smiled at him. 

The two men that loved her turned to leave her alone in her cell once more. Three hearts broke that moment. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tom held his head high as he stepped outside into the fresh air, but after a few long strides his legs faltered and he stumbled onto the ground. He sobbed uncontrollingly, then he threw his head in his neck and roared. 

Benedict grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up to his feet. "No...no!" he demanded, "You cannot do this now. She needs you, Tom!"

Tom's eyes were desperate as he stared at his friend before him, looking for anything that could just bring a glimmer of hope. 

"You cannot fall apart now", Ben said. "You have to be strong...for her..."

Tom sniffed and nodded. He inhaled and exhaled slowly as he tried to find his footing again. 

"What if the warden is telling the truth...what if she will be executed? Eve's right. They'll never give her a fair trial. Not even with you as our backup."

Benedict bit his lip as he took in what Tom said. "We'll take that hurdle as it comes", he said simply. 

"No..." Tom growled, "it won't come...I will kill each and every one of them before it comes. I will get her out, with violence if I have to."

"That would get you both killed!" 

Tom's eyes were devoid of anything that Benedict could comprehend. It scared him. 

"Better than her dying alone..." Tom said simply as he walked away. 


	20. Chapter 20

Dear readers,

I have received lovely comments asking me to keep updating. I believe my silence hasbeen going on too long and you deserve to know why I have not been productive anymore.

I am married to the most wonderful man in the world. Our marriage, though imperfect as all marriages are, was stable and fulfilling to me. My husband has been struggling with depression, but I never felt this was interfering with our marriage. In April I found out that this feeling was not mutual and my husband has decided to leave me and our marital home in an attempt to find a different version of himself.

Though I felt I was coping at first, it soon became clear that I couldn't and I fell into a deep depression, which I'm still struggling with now.

I am currently receiving therapy and was diagnosed with depression (and PTSS). I'm taking medication to sleep and against the depression. Since this last week I feel I'm doing a little better as I am in excellent hands. My wonderful therapists, my doctor and a very select few friends are giving me the pep talks and care I need during these very dark times.

I understand most people feel compelled to point at my husband and call him names and condemn him. Some people in my environment already have. Though I realise this is done through a feeling of solidarity, I have to stress this is unnecessary. There are details surrounding our break up that have led to my depression, but my husband and I are able to talk and he has expressed genuine sorrow for hurting me.

He has been my spouse for ten years, but a friend and confidant for no less than 13. I still love and trust him (one cannot simple erase 13 years of love just like that). I am still comfortable around him and fortunately, I can still count him as my friend. Yes, the relationship is strained right now, but we are both working to becoming better people. I hope to still count him as a very important person in my years to come. Save for one I have always been able to have a very good relationship with my ex-lovers and I cannot imagine my life without the one I chose as my husband playing a role in it, even if the role has changed.

We do not know what the future brings, but currently all I want is to get better and to work on a positive relationship with him in whatever form this may be.

My depression and the events described above have been the reason for my silence this time. I realise I'm not very consistent with my updates regardless. As my mental stability seems to improve I feel an itch to write again (but writing about strained love relationships might actually make it hard for me to cope currently).

I do hope you will remain my faithful readers, even if you might need to wait for an update for a while. I do solemnly promise I will update as soon as I feel I am able to write again.

Kind regards,  
D.  
MrsAlwaysRight

**Author's Note:**

> This story has been in my head for a while. It started with an idea for a fanfiction where the original character has full control over a celebrity. Then I felt it might actually be more interesting to explore this concept the other way around. There will be fluff and smut and angst. I will be working up to it, of course. It's certainly a work in progress and might be edited heavily. I welcome feedback!


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